Design & Technology

Previous Next

“Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success.”

- Sir James Dyson

Our Goal

At English Martyrs, we inspire children to develop their imagination and creativity through Design and Technology. Pupils design and make products that solve real problems, considering the needs of different users. Our curriculum develops their creative, technical, and practical skills for everyday tasks. We make cross-curricular links with subjects like maths, science, art, and computing to help them solve real-life problems. We also teach the principles of good nutrition and healthy cooking for their future wellbeing.

How we teach Design & Technology

Our Design and Technology curriculum ensures that all pupils:

• Develop creative, technical, and practical skills for a technological world.
• Build knowledge to design and make high-quality products.
• Critique, evaluate, and test ideas and products.
• Understand nutrition and learn how to cook.

The curriculum includes four strands:

• Design

• Make

• Evaluate

• Apply

Using the CUSP Design and Technology curriculum, we cover food and nutrition, mechanisms, structures, systems, electrical systems, materials, and textiles. Skills are revisited with increasing complexity throughout primary school. Lessons are practical, encouraging creativity and independence, and adapted to form cross-curricular links. Pupils document their ideas in sketchbooks, with lessons differentiated to ensure all children enjoy and benefit.

Impact

Our curriculum prepares children to be innovative and resourceful members of society. By the end of their primary education, children will:

• Understand various materials and resources.
• Use tools to shape, decorate, and manufacture products.
• Apply skills to produce high-quality outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products.
• Understand healthy eating, diets, and recipes.
• Appreciate key individuals, inventions, and events impacting our world.
• Recognize the impact of their decisions on community, social, and environmental issues.
• Self-evaluate and reflect on their learning to identify areas for improvement.
• Meet the national curriculum expectations for Design and Technology and Computing.

Progress is evidenced through sketchbooks, display work, and dialogue with the children (using the pupil book study approach).