At Blowers Green, our intent is to develop pupils’ mastery of design and technology, enabling them to apply these skills in everyday life and future careers. Our curriculum ensures skill progression, building on prior knowledge and fostering a strong understanding of key concepts including designing and problem-solving, function and purpose and sustainability and impact. Pupils will develop a solid schema of design principles, helping them think, work, and communicate like designers.
We foster creativity and problem-solving through diverse projects, such as designing safety vests, playground structures, bird hides, and creating healthy meals. From the early years, pupils engage in hands-on activities, progressing from material exploration (Expressive Arts and Design) and the development of fine motor skills (Physical Development) to more complex design challenges, while understanding aesthetics, social responsibility, and environmental issues.
We inspire pupils to learn from real-world practitioners and encourage innovative thinking. Throughout their journey, pupils will respond to needs, create practical solutions, and develop the skills and passion needed to contribute to an ever-changing world.
At Blowers Green, we follow a broad and balanced Design and technology curriculum that builds on prior learning, offering both support and challenge for all learners. Our curriculum is guided by the ‘Projects on a Page’ framework from the DT Association, with each unit structured around specific disciplines such as food and nutrition, mechanisms, structures, textiles, and key stage-specific topics like materials (KS1) and electrical systems (KS2). These projects are designed to help pupils engage with the National Curriculum in an imaginative and effective way.
Progression is embedded throughout the curriculum, allowing pupils to revisit and build upon key concepts with increasing complexity and challenge. Alongside developing expertise in core Design and technology disciplines, we emphasize the importance of purposeful work, encouraging pupils to develop problem-solving skills and creativity.
The curriculum is delivered through a hands-on, creative approach where pupils design, make, and evaluate. Pupils work with a variety of materials, tools, and technologies, developing practical skills while also fostering creativity, critical thinking, and resilience. By exploring real-life scenarios and considering user needs, pupils collaborate to create innovative solutions, developing an understanding of the importance of Design and technology in everyday life, helping pupils to appreciate how design influences the world around them and how their own creativity can lead to innovative solutions.
At Blowers Green, the impact of our design and technology curriculum is reflected in the progress pupils make in their ability to think creatively, solve problems, and develop practical skills. By the time pupils leave our school, they will have gained a solid understanding of the design process—from identifying a problem to designing, creating, and evaluating solutions. They will be confident in using a variety of materials, tools, and technologies, and will be able to apply their learning to real-world scenarios.
Progress in design and technology will be shown while pupils are working. This helps us to understand pupils’ development as designers, rather than their ability to produce a prescribed end outcome. It is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and pupils’ practical and written work, verbal responses and capabilities within lessons, to ensure that progression of skills is taking place. By encouraging pupils to articulate their thinking and reflections, we can understand which aspects of design and technology may require additional teaching and reshape teaching to support this.
As a result of their design and technology learning, pupils will leave Blowers Green with the skills and confidence to approach challenges in creative and innovative ways, both in and out of the classroom. They will have developed a lifelong appreciation for the impact of design on the world around them and be well-prepared to use their skills in future academic and real-world contexts.
The National Curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- 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
- critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
Cultural Capital is the collection of skills and experiences which children need to help them thrive in the wider world.
Our Design & Technology provision (including out of school trips linked to Design and Technology topics and projects) aims to give children a diverse set of encounters and skills which will be valuable to them long after they leave Year 6. These include:
- Exploring how design and technology have shaped cultures around the world
- Learning traditional and modern techniques in textiles and construction
- Studying iconic inventions and designers from different times and places
- Cooking and tasting dishes from a range of cultures and traditions
- Encouraging sustainable design and recycling through eco-projects
- Taking part in practical problem-solving activities that mirror real-world tasks
- Visiting local museums, workshops or inviting industry experts to speak
- Linking DT projects to art, culture and history topics to broaden understanding
- Encouraging children to innovate and think critically like real designers
