Design & Technology

“Design is thinking made visual!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” –

Benjamin Franklin

Design and Technology (DT) is taught through engaging, purposeful projects across the school, with some discrete lessons to develop key skills such as cutting, joining, and using tools safely.

Early Years Foundation Stage

In Nursery and Reception, DT is explored through Physical Development, Understanding the World, and Expressive Arts and Design. Children use the creative, fine motor, loose parts, construction, and outdoor areas to make open-ended products that support imaginative play, such as castles, junk models, and role-play creations. Planned challenges ensure that essential skills are practiced and developed.

Key Stage One

In Key Stage One, DT follows the National Curriculum and focuses on project-based learning. Children work through the key strands:

· Designing: Understanding purpose, users, and generating ideas

· Making: Planning, selecting materials, and developing practical skills

· Evaluating: Reflecting on their own work and existing products

· Technical Knowledge: Exploring mechanisms, structures, and woodwork

· Cooking and Nutrition: Preparing simple, healthy dishes, understanding food groups, and safe hygiene

Projects Across the School

DT projects include:

· Cooking: Smoothies, scones, pancakes, gingerbread

· Textiles: Puppets, decorations, fabric fish

· Mechanisms: Moving minibeasts, vehicles, boats, aeroplanes

· Structures: Local buildings, bridges, dens, Eiffel Tower

· Woodwork: Vehicles, lanterns, wooden pets

Children also create products linked to celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Easter. Through these projects, they learn cutting, joining, shaping, and decorating techniques, while developing confidence, independence, and pride in their finished work.

Our DT curriculum ensures children design, make, and evaluate with purpose, developing practical skills and creativity that link to everyday life.

Useful links

How can I support my child with design and technology?

To support design and technology at home, you don’t need fancy design and technology materials. Just provide access to as many different opportunities to research, investigate, design, make and evaluate! Design and technology doesn’t always have to be ‘making’. It is important that children investigate and reflect! It may be that they observe you using tools, cooking or even patching up clothes!

When using tools and equipment, it is important that children are supervised and know how to use them safely and correctly, for example; holding scissors correctly and carrying them safely when moving around. Allowing children to have time to make mistakes and face challenges is crucial – the best way for them to learn is to reflect and evaluate! It’s also important to let them go off on tangents – if something captures their imagination and they follow their own path, then celebrate that.

Perhaps you are reading a story, could you encourage your child to design something relevant to this? A rocket for example! Encourage them to think about the designing steps, what materials they would need and what tools they would need!