Design Technology

At BSCA Primary we are designers! We want our children to love design technology. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be designers, chefs, architects and so on.  "Creativity is as important as literacy". (Ken Robinson - educationalist) 

 

Our design technology curriculum embodies our vision: we create a place where all can achieve life in its fullness. 

 

Our children BELIEVE they are designers who STRIVE to know more and remember more. They CARE for each other and the world. Finally, they ACHIEVE their excellence by working hard- at the end of their time in primary school they are designers ready to continue their learning journey in key stage 3 and beyond. 

 

By living our vision and values we achieve our Trust vision: through our design technology curriculum our children will have: 

Life in all its fullness. 

 

Our design technology curriculum has been carefully crafted so that our children develop their design technology capital. We want our children to remember their technology lessons in our school and to have amazing memories to look back on.  

 

Curriculum Intent 

The design technology curriculum promotes curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. It is ambitious and empowers our children to become independent and resilient – like all our curriculum areas. We promote the use of a knowledge-rich curriculum to serve the key principles of cognitive science. Research has shown that those who are rich in knowledge gain new knowledge quicker and more effectively. Hirsch writes, knowledge should be thought of as mental velcro. People who have lots of subject-specific knowledge find that new knowledge ‘sticks’ to it, helping them commit the new information to long-term memory. 

We therefore place the acquisition of knowledge at the heart of the learning process. 

 

We want to equip them with the statutory requirements of the design technology National Curriculum and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is central to the development and growth of our pupils and is also at the heart of our design technology curriculum alongside learning more and remembering more. Last year some of our year 6 pupils attended an after-school club where they attended cookery lessons with Urban Outreach. Alongside learning more cookery skills, they were able to learn how to put together nutritious,cost-effectivee meals. This year as part of our enrichment programme we have become involved in a project where (ask Vicky about this) and its aim. Personal Development is so important in our school and food technology supports this. 

 

Our aim is for all children to access challenging curriculum content that covers a range of design concepts. We seek to achieve this using curriculum materials and knowledge organisers, that lay out specific, detailed, coherent knowledge and to use pedagogical practices that seek to ensure that knowledge is not just encountered but fixed in the long-term memory. We know that learning has not taken place if there has not been a change to long term memory. 

 

The children’s design technology learning starts in the early years with opportunities to build the children’s knowledge and vocabulary of designing. They are encouraged to explore and create with a wide range of materials. 

 

The KS1 curriculum has been designed to lay the groundwork of design skills to prepare them for further study in KS2. It is our intent that our KS2 curriculum prepares our children to go on to study the subject at key stage 3 and beyond to university, or that they will require particular subject knowledge in their future career, or need particular subject knowledge or skills to enable them to be active members of society.  

 

We enrich their time in our school with memorable, unforgettable experiences and provide opportunities which may normally be out of reach – these piques their interests and passions. Taking part in design and make projects with high interest design briefs does exactly this. 

 

Curriculum Implementation 

 

The design technology curriculum has been carefully built and the learning opportunities for each year group designed to ensure progression and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills. We believe that our pupils need to be actively involved in making sense of their learning and therefore an enquiry approach has been implemented, encouraging higher-order thinking and allowing our children to explore.  

  

Tier 3 subject specific design technology vocabulary is identified for each learning challenge. We encourage our children ‘To speak like designers’ in all lessons and display key vocabulary in our classrooms using dual coding and place it on our knowledge organisers.  

  

Our medium-term plans are used to set out the learning objectives for each lesson, identifying engaging activities and resources which will be used to achieve them. 

  

The knowledge linked to each design technology challenge has been deliberately chosen to be connected, cumulative and coherent. This helps to ensure sufficient time is allocated to design technology and that design technology subject matter can be revisited frequently. Our teachers link prior knowledge to new learning in order to deepen understanding. We believe that by crafting our curriculum this way, we improve the potential for our children to retain what they have been taught, to alter their long-term memory and therefore make maximum progress. 

 

We embed the Windows, Mirrors and Doors approach across our teaching of D&T to deepen learning, inclusion, and creativity: 

• Windows – D&T offers windows into the wider world of innovation and design. Pupils learn about inspiring designers, engineers, architects, and inventors from different times, places, and cultures. They explore how design and technology influence the way people live and work globally. Through this, children develop an appreciation of diversity, creativity, and the impact of design on everyday life. 

• Mirrors – D&T acts as a mirror, reflecting pupils’ own ideas, needs, and experiences. Children design and make products with relevance to their lives, communities, and interests. This helps them to see the value of their own perspectives, understand the purpose of design in their own world, and take pride in their problem-solving abilities. 

• Doors – D&T opens doors to new possibilities, encouraging pupils to innovate, take creative risks, and imagine how technology and design can shape a better future. They develop the mindset of inventors — exploring how design can address real-world challenges such as sustainability, accessibility, and wellbeing. 

  

Curriculum Impact 

Our Design and Technology curriculum equips pupils with the creativity, technical knowledge, and practical skills to design, make, and evaluate purposeful products that solve real problems in a variety of contexts. Through imaginative, hands-on learning, children develop curiosity, innovation, and resilience as they move through the design process — from concept to creation. 

Design and Technology at our school encourages pupils to think like designers, engineers, inventors, and problem-solvers. The curriculum provides rich opportunities to work collaboratively, apply knowledge from across the curriculum, and develop an understanding of how design and technology shape the world we live in. 

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils: 

• Generate, develop, model, and communicate their ideas through discussion, sketches, prototypes, and digital technology. 

• Select and use a wide range of materials, tools, and components with increasing precision and safety. 

• Apply knowledge of structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, and nutrition to design functional, appealing products. 

• Evaluate and refine their designs, considering the effectiveness, sustainability, and user experience of their creations. 

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is evident in pupils who: 

• Demonstrate creativity, resilience, and independence in solving practical problems. 

• Apply critical thinking to design challenges, understanding that design involves trial, error, and refinement. 

• Show curiosity about how things work and how designs can improve people’s lives. 

• Appreciate the social, cultural, and environmental impact of technology and innovation. 

Through the Windows, Mirrors and Doors approach, children in D&T look through windows to understand the innovation shaping our world, see mirrors that reflect their own creativity and purpose, and step through doors into a future where they can design, make, and think differently. 

Ultimately, pupils leave Key Stage 2 as resourceful, reflective, and responsible designers — ready to apply their creativity and technical understanding to the challenges of an ever-changing world. 

Yearly Overview

	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
Year 1	Moving Pictures - Traditional Tales	0	Our Fabric Faces	0	Sensational Salads	0
Year 2	0	Fabric Bunting	0	Pirate Paddy's Packed Lunch Problems	0	Dips and Dippers
Year 3	Juggling Balls	0	Mechanical Posters	0	Edible Garden	0
Year 4	0	Battery Operated Lights	0	Let's Go Fly a Kite	0	The Great Bread Bake Off
Year 5	Marbellous Structures	0	Programming Adventures	0	Super Seasonal Cooking	0
Year 6	0	Automata Animals	0	Felt Phone Cases	0	Global Food