DT is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw upon knowledge from other areas of the curriculum such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation, preparing them for the future.

Our curriculum has been designed to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Through creativity and innovation, design and technology continue to shape our lives. Using an

Activity-focused approach, a high-quality design and technology education should give

Pupil’s opportunities to create, innovate, design, make and evaluate a variety of well-crafted

Products. Pupils should be taught the technical skills and craftsmanship to execute practical tasks,

Thereby developing confidence in using these skills.

The National Curriculum

Design and Technology is a practical subject that aims to:

• Provide opportunities for all the children to design and make quality products.
• Provide children with the opportunity to explore food and cooking techniques alongside the teaching the importance of healthy eating and environmental issues within food production.
• Develop design and making skills using a select range of tools, materials and components; encouraging them to select appropriate tools whilst following safety procedures.
• Develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and disliked when designing and making.
• Foster enjoyment and purpose in designing and making.
• Encourage children to reflect on and evaluate techniques and its effects.

Children will be given the opportunity to work within three main areas of development during each topic:

1. Investigative, disassembly and evaluative activities - These activities provide opportunities for the children to explore existing products and to gain skills, knowledge and understanding which can be applied in a design and make assignment.
2. Focused practical tasks provide opportunities to learn and practice particular skills and knowledge.
3. Design and make assignment provides an opportunity for the children to combine their skills, knowledge and understanding to develop products that meet a real need (In general DMAs in Key Stage One will tend to be shorter in duration and, as children move towards the end of Key Stage Two, their designing and making will become more complex and therefore more time consuming).

Design and Technology education involves two important elements - learning about the designed and made world and how things work and learning to design and make functional products for particular purposes and users. Children acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms and control systems, structures, existing products, quality and health and safety. The skills learned in D&T also help with learning across the curriculum. Knowledge about the properties of materials helps in science and the practice of measuring accurately helps in maths. These skills help in IT through the children’s use of computer control and, naturally, in art and design. Design and Technology education helps develop children’s skills through collaborative working and problem-solving, and knowledge in design, materials, structures, mechanisms and electrical control. They are encouraged to be creative and innovative and are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise.

Design and technology is the part of the curriculum in which pupils learn to design, make and evaluate functional products or systems in terms of their fitness for purpose. Design and Technology is about providing opportunities for children to develop their capability. By combining their design and making skills with knowledge and understanding they learn to create quality products. The majority of the learning in D&T should take place through practical activities where children are given opportunities to design and make products. In Early Years, activities should be well planned and purposeful, with a consistent focus on developing children’s awareness of the world around them. Good practice will allow children to build upon their early childhood investigations to explore progressively how things work. Our curriculum brings learning to life. It is a motivating context for discovering literacy, mathematics, science, art, PSHE and ICT. Design and Technology also provides a firm basis for later learning in the subject and a platform for developing skills in English and Maths.