At Western Primary School, we aim to provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for life beyond primary education. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. During Design and Technology, we teach children the language skills they will need to be effective communicators. We actively encourage our children to be critical thinkers, forward planners and effective problem solvers. We also teach our children to be able to work as capable individuals and as part of a valuable, productive team. Resilience is a key theme running through our DT curriculum enhanced through our learning powers programme that is run through teaching and learning across the school. The children are encouraged to become innovators and risk takers. At Western Primary School, we view Design and Technology as a subject which allows children to apply their knowledge and understanding in a creative way to design and make products. Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.

This is achieved through clear knowledge overviews and DT planning, which also states the skills and knowledge that the children need to learn. Whole school overviews also support with how art knowledge and skills are progressed from EYFS to KS2. Planning includes differentiated support, key questions and vocabulary. At the start of every DT lesson, previously learnt knowledge is recapped, alongside a retrieval of the previous lessons work. At the end of the lesson, children are asked to recall key knowledge that they have learnt.

DT work is linked to topics being taught. Our DT lessons follow the specific threads of technical knowledge, design, make, evaluate and cooking and nutrition. The aspects of design, make and evaluate are consistent with each DT topic, however the elements of structures, mechanisms, textiles and electrical systems (KS2) change to ensure full coverage.

DT is assessed through use of regular retrieval practice, built in to each lesson. Teachers set clear objectives and a success criteria every session, which are accessible to all children. There is an annual report given to parents every year which informs parents on how progress in the subject has been made and how well their child has achieved.