Design and Technology

Intent

At St. Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum prepares pupils for an ever-changing world by developing creativity, resilience, innovation and problem-solving skills. Through purposeful designing and making activities, pupils are encouraged to think critically, work collaboratively and apply their learning to real-life contexts.

Rooted in our Catholic ethos and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, our curriculum promotes creativity, stewardship and the responsible use of resources. Pupils are encouraged to consider how design and technology can improve the lives of others, support communities and contribute positively to the wider world.

Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully sequenced to ensure pupils progressively develop the knowledge, understanding and technical skills needed to design, make and evaluate products with increasing independence and confidence. Through engaging practical experiences, children learn to take risks, solve problems and reflect critically on their ideas and outcomes.

We aim for children to:

• develop creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently;

• design and make purposeful products for a range of users and contexts;

• apply knowledge from mathematics, science, computing and art within meaningful design projects;

• develop resilience and problem-solving skills through the design process;

• evaluate and refine ideas and products using subject-specific vocabulary;

• understand the importance of healthy eating, nutrition and food preparation;

• acquire essential life skills that prepare them for future learning and everyday life.

Through high-quality Design and Technology experiences, pupils are encouraged to become innovative thinkers who understand how design can shape and improve the world around them.

Implementation

At St. Gerard’s Catholic Primary School, Design and Technology is taught through the Kapow Primary scheme of work, which is fully aligned with the National Curriculum and carefully structured to provide clear progression in knowledge, skills and vocabulary across all year groups.

The curriculum is organised around four key strands which are embedded within every unit:

• Design;

• Make;

• Evaluate;

• Technical knowledge.

These strands ensure balanced coverage of the substantive, disciplinary and procedural knowledge pupils need in order to become successful designers and makers.

Learning is sequenced progressively so that pupils build upon prior knowledge and skills over time. Lessons provide opportunities for children to:

• investigate and evaluate existing products;

• generate and communicate design ideas;

• develop practical making skills using a range of tools, techniques and materials;

• apply technical knowledge to solve problems;

• test, evaluate and refine products to improve outcomes.

Pupils are encouraged to work both independently and collaboratively, developing resilience and adaptability throughout the design process. Teachers model key skills explicitly and provide opportunities for pupils to practise and apply these skills with increasing accuracy and independence.

Cross-curricular links are carefully planned to strengthen learning and provide meaningful contexts for design tasks. Pupils apply knowledge from mathematics, science, computing and art to support problem solving, innovation and technical understanding.

Within Food Technology, pupils learn about nutrition, balanced diets and healthy lifestyles while developing practical cooking skills. Children are taught how to prepare and cook a variety of dishes safely and hygienically, equipping them with important life skills for the future.

Retrieval practice and revisiting prior learning support pupils in embedding knowledge into long-term memory. Vocabulary is explicitly taught and reinforced to enable pupils to discuss, evaluate and explain their learning confidently using appropriate technical language.

Teaching is adapted to ensure that all pupils can access and succeed within the curriculum. Appropriate scaffolding, support and challenge opportunities ensure all learners are able to develop confidence, creativity and technical understanding.

Design and Technology is further enriched through opportunities to explore sustainability, enterprise and real-world problem solving, supporting pupils’ cultural capital and understanding of their role within society.

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is that pupils develop as confident, creative and reflective designers who are equipped with the knowledge, practical skills and resilience needed to solve problems and respond to real-world challenges.

Through carefully sequenced learning and practical experiences, pupils:

• understand the purpose and importance of design and making in everyday life;

• develop creativity, innovation and imaginative thinking;

• apply technical and practical skills with increasing confidence and precision;

• use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss, explain and evaluate products and processes;

• demonstrate resilience and adaptability when refining ideas and overcoming challenges;

• apply knowledge from other curriculum areas within purposeful design contexts;

• understand principles of nutrition, healthy eating and safe food preparation.

Pupils are able to evaluate their own work and the work of others thoughtfully and constructively, identifying strengths and areas for development. Their work demonstrates progression in technical knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills over time.

The impact of the curriculum is measured through:

• ongoing formative assessment during lessons;

• evaluation of design processes and final products;

• pupil discussions and reflective evaluations;

• assessment of practical skills and technical understanding;

• retrieval practice and recall of key vocabulary and knowledge;

• evidence of progression within pupils’ work.

As a result, pupils leave St. Gerard’s with the confidence, creativity and practical understanding needed to continue their learning in Design and Technology at secondary school and beyond, while also developing valuable skills for everyday life.