Design & Technology

Learn with passion, lead with kindness, grow with resilience

Imagine, design and make

Design Technology gives children the opportunity to imagine, design, make and improve products that solve real problems and meet the needs of others. It encourages them to be creative, practical and curious, while building the confidence to turn their ideas into reality.

Through the Maestro Cornerstones Curriculum, children take part in a wide range of design and making projects. They explore materials, mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems, food and digital technologies, developing their knowledge and skills over time.

Designing for a purpose

Children learn that successful design begins with understanding a purpose. They investigate existing products, think about the needs of their intended users and develop clear design criteria.

They then generate ideas, choose suitable materials and tools, and create purposeful products through a process of planning, making, testing and refining.

Learning through doing

Design Technology is a practical subject where children learn by making and experimenting. They develop practical skills, learn to use tools safely and accurately, and understand that mistakes and changes are an important part of the design process.

By evaluating their work, children identify what has worked well and consider how their products could be improved.

Creative and responsible thinking

Children are encouraged to think both creatively and critically. They explore how products are made, how they work and how design can respond to environmental, social and cultural needs.

They also develop an understanding of sustainability, making thoughtful choices about materials and resources and considering the impact of their designs on the world around them.

Our school values are woven throughout our Design Technology curriculum:

• Kindness – designing with the needs, safety and wellbeing of others in mind.
• Respect – valuing different ideas, materials, cultures, skills and ways of solving problems.
• Teamwork – sharing ideas, working collaboratively and supporting one another during the design and making process.
• Resilience – persevering when designs do not work as planned and using challenges as opportunities to improve.
• Independence – making informed choices, using tools responsibly and taking ownership of the design process.
• Pride – taking pride in the quality, creativity and purpose of the products we make.

Most importantly, we want our children to leave primary school with the confidence to be creative problem-solvers, the practical skills to design and make with purpose, and the understanding that thoughtful design can make a positive difference to people and the world around them.

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