Intent

At St Mary’s, we aspire to provide a high-quality Design and Technology education that nurtures creativity, problem-solving, and technical knowledge, enabling all pupils to flourish as innovative thinkers. Through hands-on experiences, critical reflection, and real-world applications, we shine a light on the importance of design and technology in shaping the world around us.

By the end of Year 6, we want our children to confidently explore key concepts in Design and Technology by understanding how designers take inspiration from existing products, how designs demonstrate both function and appearance, and how scientific knowledge is applied to solve problems. They will also investigate how innovation leads to new ideas that improve lives, how reflection and evaluation drive further improvements, and why safety is essential in the design and making process. Through these enquiries, children will develop a deeper understanding of the role Design and Technology plays in shaping the world around them.

To ensure a well-rounded education, all pupils engage in cooking and nutrition projects, fulfilling the KS2 curriculum requirements and equipping them with essential life skills.

Implementation

Our Design and Technology curriculum is carefully structured to ensure progressive development of knowledge and skills across key stages, in line with the National Curriculum. We teach a split curriculum with Art and each year, children engage with three thoughtfully planned DT learning journeys, sequenced to build on prior learning and focused on three of the five units: Mechanical Systems, Structures, Electrical Systems, Textiles and Cooking and Nutrition.

Each year, pupils take part in a structured cooking and nutrition learning journey, developing their understanding of healthy eating through the study of the Eatwell Plate, exploring seasonality and where food comes from - tracing ingredients from farm to fork. Skills are taught progressively: younger pupils begin by learning to prepare fruit and vegetables, crack eggs, and cream butter and sugar for baking. As they move through the school, they build on these foundations to bake bread, make pastry, and eventually adapt and create their own recipes with increasing independence and confidence.

Children are encouraged to think creatively and critically, applying their knowledge to real-world problems, and exploring how design shapes the world around them. Skills are taught and revisited through the cycle of designing, making, evaluating, and improving, with an emphasis on purposeful outcomes and high-quality products.

DT learning is enriched through strong cross-curricular links, retrieval practice, and practical, hands-on experiences that promote resilience, self-challenge, and deep thinking. Our approach ensures that all pupils are supported and challenged appropriately, enabling them to confidently explore, create, and innovate—equipping them to make a positive difference in their own lives and the wider world.

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is seen in the confidence, creativity, and curiosity our pupils show as they move through school. Children learn to see DT as a language for expressing ideas, solving problems, and designing with purpose, no matter their skill level.

We assess progress formatively during lessons, through ongoing verbal feedback and evaluation of product or project. Pupil voice helps us understand how well children are retaining key knowledge, applying skills, and enjoying an engaging, relevant and inclusive curriculum.