Intent

Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to develop creative, technical and practical expertise so that pupils can confidently design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems. Pupils learn to think and work like designers, engineers, makers and problem-solvers, developing an understanding of how design and technology shape our lives and the wider world.

Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils build knowledge of materials, mechanisms, structures, electrical systems, food, tools and techniques, alongside the vocabulary and processes needed to design and make effectively. They learn to consider users, purpose, function, aesthetics, sustainability and the social and environmental impact of design.

Pupils encounter the work of designers, engineers and makers and use this knowledge to inform and inspire their own designs. They develop the ability to generate, communicate, test and refine ideas, combining practical skills with technical knowledge and making informed evaluations of their products and processes.

Our curriculum encourages pupils to be resourceful, resilient, innovative and enterprising, while developing their confidence to take considered risks, solve problems and learn from mistakes. Links with other subjects are used purposefully where they strengthen pupils' understanding and application of Design and Technology.

Implementation

Our Design and Technology curriculum is informed by the National Curriculum and is organised around the key areas of Designing and Making and Cooking and Nutrition. Pupils develop both the knowledge needed to understand materials, products, processes and technologies and the disciplinary skills needed to design, make, test and evaluate.

Learning is carefully sequenced across our two-year rolling programme to ensure coverage, progression and increasing independence, particularly within our mixed-year-group classes. Key knowledge, vocabulary, tools, techniques and processes are revisited and developed over time.

D&T is taught for a half term each term, alternating with Art. Units may be taught as focused blocks or through weekly lessons, depending on the nature of the learning and the needs of the project. This provides pupils with sufficient time to develop, practise and apply their knowledge and skills across the design and make process.

Units follow an iterative design process in which pupils investigate existing products and users, develop design criteria, generate and communicate ideas, select appropriate materials and techniques, make and test products, and evaluate and refine their work. Teachers explicitly model the safe and accurate use of tools, equipment, materials and techniques, while developing pupils' subject-specific vocabulary and understanding.

Projects are purposeful and provide opportunities for pupils to make meaningful connections with other areas of learning where appropriate. Pupils are taught to make informed choices about materials, processes and techniques and to understand how design and technology can respond to users, purpose, function, sustainability and the wider world.

 What makes a Preston Candover Designer?       

End of KS1: A Preston Candover designer can generate and communicate ideas, select and use appropriate materials, tools and techniques to make purposeful products safely, and evaluate their work against simple design criteria.

End of KS2: A Preston Candover designer can investigate and develop ideas for functional, appealing products, select and use appropriate materials, tools and techniques accurately, apply technical knowledge, and evaluate and refine their designs against clear criteria, considering the user and purpose.

Please use the links below to explore our DT curriculum further: