Inspire • Enrich • Enjoy • Succeed

“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.”

Robert L. Peters (Designer and author)

Our Design Technology Curriculum aims to prepare our children to take part in the development of today’s rapidly changing world. Design Technology (D.T.) is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject with which children can immediately relate as it is evident in many of the objects children use every day. D.T. allows children to develop their individual interests, talents and skills whilst being inspired to explore what the wider community and world has to offer.  By developing an understanding of significant technological developments of the past and present, we hope to inspire the future generation.

Our D.T. intent relates to our whole school intent, including and extending the EYFS Framework 2021 (in particular the ELGs within Expressive Arts and Design, and Understanding the World), and the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, as well as providing for the unique needs of the children within our Federation family.

It is our intent that by the time children leave our school they will:

• Have the confidence to explore their interest in D.T., understanding that high-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation; and be inspired to contribute to this in the future;
• Have developed and be able to safely use the repertoire of creative, technical and practical skills needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world;
• Be able to critique, evaluate and test ideas and products;
• Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and know how to cook;

• Be aware of the moral dimensions of modern production and consumption and the effects these can have on our environment, God’s world, enhancing this awareness through consideration of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Our Design Technology Curriculum is founded on the Kapow Primary scheme of work which provides a really comprehensive, motivating and progressive model, written by subject experts.  The curriculum has 4 strands that run throughout.  These are:

• Design
• Make
• Evaluate
• Technical Knowledge

These strands are revisited in every unit with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model which promotes memory retention and allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.  

Curriculum planning in D.T. is blocked in order to facilitate a continued and deep focus upon the project challenge. The intended outcome for each project is to solve an identified problem, developing substantive and disciplinary knowledge through the sequence and process of learning.  Planned progression ensures that previously developed skills and techniques are built upon, and are embedded and developed further in future learning. There is a continuous focus upon the knowledge and correct use of a rich and varied vocabulary.

D.T. is taught as a discrete subject, with links in learning being made with other curriculum areas, i.e. Science (material, forces) and PSHE (nutrition and cooking).  In addition, opportunities through wider aspects of school life enhance our D.T. Curriculum and have been carefully planned for, as is evident within the following documents:

D.T. is taught as a discrete subject, with links in learning being made with other curriculum areas, i.e. Science (material, forces) and PSHE (nutrition and cooking).  In addition, opportunities through wider aspects of school life enhance our D.T. Curriculum and have been carefully planned for.