Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence

An Interview with Luke McCarthy, HoD Gracewood Academy, Potters Bar

CLEAPSS staff recently visited the D&T and Art & Design departments at Gracewood Academy in Potters Bar. We were hugely impressed by the organisation and the thoughtful strategies the Head of Department, Luke McCarthy, has implemented to keep such a large department running smoothly and efficiently. Pupils clearly benefit from a well-structured, high-quality learning experience in both D&T and Art lessons. We asked Luke a few follow-up questions to gain insight into how he manages the department so effectively.

Why do you think it is important to keep practical spaces tidy and well organised?

A tidy, well-organised practical space is fundamental to safe and effective teaching and learning. Clean, clutter-free environments reduce risk, prevent misuse of tools and equipment, and support good behaviour. A messy environment increases the likelihood of accidents, creates cognitive overload and distraction, and undermines high expectations.

Well-organised spaces also protect equipment longevity and improve resource management. Only having the equipment required for the lesson available ensures focus, promotes safer working practices and makes routines more efficient. Ultimately, a “ship shape” environment models professional standards and reinforces the message that practical learning spaces are purposeful working environments, not casual classrooms.

How do you ensure this is instilled in your students? Do you use specific strategies to encourage responsibility during practical lessons?

We instil this through rigorous consistency, routines and shared responsibility.

Students are issued clear duties at the start and end of practical lessons – for example, stools stacked safely, tools counted in and out, and workspaces cleaned. This promotes good housekeeping and develops personal and peer responsibility through pride in their learning environment.

At KS3, students receive annual inductions and reintroductions to health and safety expectations through carousel teaching. This includes student-friendly risk assessments of tools, machines and processes. Students are taught to identify risks and report them confidently – blades break and glue spills happen; what matters is reporting and resolving issues safely.

We also use student leadership roles such as “red aprons” to recognise excellence in key skills and knowledge. These students support independence through strategies like “ask three before you ask me,” reinforcing responsibility, confidence and peer support.

If you were advising a new Head of Department, what would you say is most important to put in place?

The most important thing to establish is high expectations through clear systems and leading by example.

Put in place transparent expectations, simple and effective routines for equipment checking at the start and end of lessons, and clear procedures for storage and workspace management. Design learning spaces carefully and only have equipment out that is required for the lesson.

Shared expectations across staff are vital. Consistency in approach creates consistency in standards. Strong relationships with technicians, site teams and cleaning contractors are also essential to maintaining safe, functional learning environments.

My advice: keep it clean, keep it tidy, keep it simple and keep it ship shape.

Do you have any further advice for running a large department?

Running a large department requires clarity, consistency and culture.

Success comes from transparent expectations, clear and concise processes, shared ownership of standards, and firm but friendly rigour. Staff confidence and approachability are key, as is being open to ideas and development.

Encourage staff to trial and troubleshoot practical activities before delivery to identify risks, precautions, tools required and quality of outcomes. This improves safety, consistency and teaching confidence.

Finally, embed the mindset of shared responsibility for health and safety and adopt the principle of “leave it better than you found it” in shared teaching spaces.

As you also manage several other subjects, what would you say are the main challenges and opportunities of leading more than one subject area?

The challenge of leading multiple subjects across KS3–5 is balancing very different curriculum demands, pedagogical approaches and assessment models. Each subject area brings its own pressures, resourcing needs and professional identity.

However, the opportunity lies in working with highly motivated subject specialists and learning from best practice across disciplines. There is significant value in cross-faculty collaboration, shared systems for organisation, consistency in teaching and learning expectations, and a collective approach to behaviour, health and safety, and routines.

Strong technical support is invaluable, and working closely with technicians enhances the quality and safety of provision across practical subjects.

What do you advise new D&T teachers to prioritise when they first start?

New D&T teachers should prioritise safety, confidence and knowing when not to proceed.

Having the confidence to abandon a practical activity is a powerful professional skill. If something doesn’t look right or feel right, it isn’t right – postpone it and seek support.

I advise new teachers to:

• Observe experienced colleagues

• Team teach and take part in cameo delivery

• Work through practical tasks themselves in advance

• Seek further CPD and practical training

This builds confidence, sharpens risk awareness, and develops the ability to model smart, safe practical working practices.

Closing Principle

Across all of this, the guiding principle is:

P.R.I.D.E – Personal Responsibility In Delivering Excellence.

Additional notes and thoughts:

It’s paramount to have the confidence to reach out and make informed responses to; what’s right, what works, what good practise looks like. If in doubt, model your good practice on good practise.

All staff have access to a digital copy of the faculty risk assessments.

Subjects leads work closely with technicians to maintain standards and equipment.

Regular meetings for professional dialogue and monitoring checks and time frames.

All voices and opinions valued to reduce problems and issues and increase engagement of stakeholders.