Design Technology

Intent

At St Andrew’s CE Junior School, our Design and Technology (DT) curriculum is designed to inspire creativity, problem-solving and practical skills through meaningful, hands-on experiences. We aim to equip pupils with the knowledge and confidence to design, mak, and evaluate purposeful products that solve real and relevant problems. Our curriculum is carefully structured to build progression in technical knowledge, design thinking and practical skills across cooking, textiles, structures, mechanisms and electrical systems. We also embed cross-curricular links with science, geography and art, while promoting sustainability, health and global awareness.

Implementation

DT is taught through discrete, well-sequenced projects each term, with clear progression from Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils engage in a wide range of design challenges such as creating healthy salads, building pneumatic volcanoes, designing cam-operated toys and programming Micro:bit-controlled devices. Each unit follows the design-make-evaluate cycle, with explicit teaching of technical vocabulary, practical skills (e.g. cutting, joining, stitching, wiring) and design tools including annotated sketches, prototypes and a devloping CAD. Teachers ensure that pupils understand the purpose behind each project, often linking to real-world contexts such as Fair Trade, sustainability, or user needs. Assessment is ongoing and based on design criteria, functionality and reflective evaluation.

Impact

At St Andrew’s CE Junior School, our Design and Technology curriculum equips pupils with the practical skills, creativity and critical thinking needed to design and make purposeful products. Through a carefully sequenced programme of study, children progressively build their knowledge of materials, mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems, and nutrition. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can confidently apply technical knowledge, use tools safely and accurately and evaluate their work against design criteria. Projects such as building pneumatic volcanoes, designing nightlights and creating seasonal recipes not only develop subject-specific skills but also develop independence, resilience and collaboration. The impact of our DT curriculum is evident in the  outcomes, pupil engagement and their ability to articulate the design process from concept to creation.