Fixperts

Year 9 Design & Technology students have come up with inventive solutions to everyday problems caused by the pandemic.

The Fixperts programme challenges our pupils to use their imagination and practical skills to create solutions to everyday problems for real people. The challenges of Covid-19 necessitated more online collaboration than usual, due to some pupils isolating, but also inspired some wonderfully innovative designs: a face mask for glasses wearers by Mariella, a Zoom call aide by Nina and Alma, and a sanitiser holder by Katy. One duo, Renata and Natasha, invented a page turner for Natasha’s brother, who has sensory processing issues.

To showcase the design process, pupils made instructive videos, several of which have been submitted for publication on the Fixperts website. Industrial designer Professor Daniel Charney, co-founder and creative director of Fixperts, praised the girls’ tenacity, agility and creativity.

In 2018, South Hampstead was featured on BBC Radio 4 as one of the first schools to adopt the award-winning Fixperts programme – the schools’ version, developed by our Design & Technology Teacher, Mrs Claridge, was awarded runner-up in the Design Education Initiative Award at the Core77 Design Awards the same year. Thank you to all staff and parents who have volunteered to be Fix Partners over the past few years.