Aims and purpose
This curriculum develops pupils’ knowledge of and skills in design applied through the designing and making of prototypes. Pupils build design and technology capability by solving real-world problems in context-led units. They will evaluate their work and the work of others and critique how developments in design and technology impact the world’s social, moral, and ethical issues. This will enable pupils to become responsible designers, citizens and consumers.
Curriculum principles
Knowledge and vocabulary rich
This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, play in learning. Declarative knowledge, such as how products and systems function and using the work of designers to inform design decisions is woven alongside procedural knowledge such as the processes and methods used in design and technology and how to design using digital and physical strategies with increasing complexity over time. We identify and map vocabulary across the curriculum, both in terms of introducing new vocabulary and the necessary repetition of vocabulary that has gone before, focusing on materials, processes and design strategies.
Sequenced and coherent
A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils can build on and make links with existing knowledge. For example, when pupils ‘make’ in year 1 there is a focus on the use of scissors when working with paper to make simple structures. Simple joining techniques, such as pinning and stitching, are taught when working with textiles. This progresses to pupils selecting techniques with confidence, such as complex folding to produce shell structures when working with paper and incorporating fasteners and decorative stitching with textiles. Attention is paid to vertical coherence via threads, which map the developments of concepts over time.
Evidence-informed
Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our lesson design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction.
Diverse
Our commitment to breadth and diversity in content, language, texts and media can be seen in the curriculum, for example in the group of diverse school age characters that feature in our resources. Pupils are exposed to designers and practices from around the world: for example the year 6 unit ‘Products and people: inspirational design’ introduces pupils to the work of the female Iraqi/British architect Zaha Hadid.
Accessible
Our curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate high-quality teaching as a powerful lever to support pupils with SEND. Aligned with EEF guidance, our resources have a focus on clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding, with guided and independent practice.
Subject principles
Focuses on the knowledge and skills specific to design and technology, including the fundamentals, integration and application of:
- designing (including communication, understanding contexts and users, iterative design strategies and avoiding fixation);
- making (including techniques, tools, processes, equipment and machinery, materials and components);
- evaluating (including ideas and products, past and present designers, new and emerging technologies);
- technical knowledge (including structures, properties of materials, electronic and mechanical systems).
Our curriculum aligns learning with the national curriculum subject content of design, make, evaluate, and technical knowledge. In order to allow pupils to develop a broad capability in design and technology these content areas are taught through units that focus on the interrelated areas of design and making, mainly designing, mainly making and exploring technology and society. An example is the ‘mainly designing’ unit ‘CAD structures: architecture’ at key stage 2, where pupils will focus on designing a sustainable house without having to make a complex model. Where possible, units are taught through a context, giving authenticity to learning while building pupils’ empathy through designing for others.
National curriculum
The national curriculum for design and technology has four aims, three relating to design and technology and one to cooking and nutrition. Here we discuss how our curriculum enacts the three design and technology aims.
The first aim is to ensure pupils ‘develop the creative, technical, and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and participate successfully in an increasingly technological world’. Pupils will build confidence by working with a range of materials, focusing on paper, card, textiles and timbers. With increasing complexity, pupils will develop technical and practical expertise when using tools, processes and equipment. In year 1, they will confidently and safely use scissors. Sawing of timbers is introduced in year 2.
The second aim is that pupils should ‘build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding, and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users’. Pupils will be taught to design and make for a wide range of users. Examples include designing an interactive book for younger children in year 4 and making an accessible product for someone with limited dexterity in year 5.
The final design and technology aim is for pupils to ‘critique, evaluate, and test their ideas, products, and the work of others’. The importance of this aim is highlighted by the existence of a thread entitled ‘critique and evaluate’ which maps the progression of this over time. In year 3, pupils will critique the sustainability of packaging and how its environmental impact can be reduced.