Design & Technology

Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to inspire every learner by capturing their interests and providing exciting, enriching experiences. It encourages all children to become independent thinkers who ask questions, seek answers and develop a strong understanding of the design world around them.

 At Longfields Primary School, we aim for every child to reach their full potential through a variety of learning experiences. Our Design and Technology curriculum encourages children to be creative and innovative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. The children are encouraged to explore, draft, design, take risks and learn from their experiences. They will use their creativity to construct and test models, developing reflective skills as they evaluate the strengths and identify areas for improvement. Children will consider the impact of Design and Technology on society, particularly in the digital and electronic world, exploring how these innovations can shape their own interests and how they might influence future design.

The Design and Technology curriculum focuses on three key stages: Design, Make and Evaluate. These stages are applied across all areas from technical knowledge, which explores the context and history of design to cooking and nutrition, which will develop the skills and techniques needed.

In each unit of work children respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in six key areas:

● Mechanisms

● Structures

● Textiles

● Food

● Electrical systems (KS2)

● Digital world (KS2)

Teaching follows a spiral curriculum, revisiting key concepts with increasing complexity, and children learn through a mixture of independent, paired and group activities including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks to suit the different learning styles. The curriculum provides differentiated guidance to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all children and also opportunities to stretch their learning when required.

 The Design and Technology curriculum aims to help children to develop an understanding of materials and tools, enabling them to create high - quality, innovative products. Children learn about healthy eating, diets, and cooking processes, while also gaining an appreciation of key individuals, inventions and events that have shaped the world. They are always encouraged to reflect on their learning and identify areas for improvement. The impact of the curriculum is monitored through recall activities, quizzes and evaluations of the final products against the design criteria. Teachers highlight and annotate a skills progression map throughout the year which is used as a record of work completed and to ensure full coverage of skills. Achievements are always celebrated through classroom displays of the process and designs and products shared to showcase the children’s creativity.