Design and Technology

Intent

At Great Waltham Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to inspire creativity, innovation and problem-solving through practical, hands-on experiences. Following the National Curriculum and delivered through the Cornerstones Curriculum projects, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to design, make and evaluate purposeful products for real-life contexts. We aim to foster curiosity, resilience and technical competence, enabling children to become confident designers who can identify needs, generate ideas, take risks and learn from mistakes. Through food technology, textiles, mechanisms, structures and electrical systems, pupils gain an appreciation of how design and technology shapes the world around them and contributes to future careers and sustainable living.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught through engaging Cornerstones projects which provide meaningful contexts for learning and ensure progression of knowledge and skills across the school. Pupils follow the design process of investigating, designing, making and evaluating, while developing technical knowledge appropriate to their age and stage. Learning is enhanced through practical activities, collaborative opportunities and links to other curriculum subjects such as science, mathematics, computing and art. Children are encouraged to evaluate existing products, consider user needs and reflect critically on their own work, developing both independence and teamwork skills.

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is that pupils leave Great Waltham as creative, reflective and capable problem-solvers who can apply their learning to real-world situations. They demonstrate increasing confidence in designing and making products, selecting appropriate materials and tools safely and effectively. Pupils can evaluate and improve their work, articulate design decisions and understand how technology and innovation influence everyday life. Through their learning journey, children develop resilience, perseverance and practical skills that prepare them for the next stage of education and equip them with the confidence to contribute positively to a rapidly changing technological world.

How Knowledge and Skills Build Over Time

As children move through the school, they develop a growing range of design, making and evaluation skills while increasing their knowledge of materials, structures, mechanisms, textiles and food technology.  By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can confidently follow the design process, apply knowledge from previous learning, think critically about their work and explain how their ideas have developed over time. This progressive approach ensures that children leave Great Waltham Primary School with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for future learning and everyday life.

Vocabulary Progression

How vocabulary builds

In Design and Technology, pupils develop their vocabulary from simple concepts such as make, build, join and materials in the early years, to more complex technical terms such as mechanism, structure, function and prototype. As they progress through the curriculum, they learn to use increasingly specialised language to describe, design, make and evaluate products. By Year 6, pupils confidently use subject-specific vocabulary such as specification, innovation, sustainability, accuracy and evaluation to explain design decisions, analyse products and improve their outcomes.

Find out more

You can find more information about what your child will learn in each year group through our curriculum maps and knowledge organisers. If you would like further information about our History curriculum, please contact the school office