Intent
The concept of future and innovation underpins our design and technology curriculum - we want pupils to view themselves as designers: risk taking, trialling, and evaluating sitting centrally to their experience. Pupils are encouraged to exercise their creativity through our designing, making and evaluating cycle. Combining designing and making skills, with knowledge and understanding ensures pupils have a rounded, progressive experience and provides skills that can be drawn upon for life. Evaluation is an integral part of the design process, allowing children to improve and adapt their product and providing a platform to build and practice resilience. Capturing pupil interests and providing cross-curricular opportunities to embed D&T develops motivation and embeds understanding in a meaningful way.
Implementation
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Vocabulary
Children will develop the ability to apply subject specific vocabulary in Design and Technology through consistent modelling by adults, whilst establishing a culture of high expectations for discussions and debates. See below list of examples:
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KS1 Vocabulary List
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Design |
Assemble, join & combine |
Hygiene/hygienically |
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Product |
Food plant names |
Intended user |
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Idea |
Animals that produce/give food |
Measure, mark out |
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Template |
Names of different food ingredients |
Mock-up |
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Labelled diagrams |
Structures |
Finishing techniques |
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Names of different materials & textiles |
Names of tools for cutting, peeling and grating |
Slider, lever, hinge |
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Eatwell Plate – fruit and vegetables, potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates, beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins, dairy and alternatives, oils and spreads |
Wheel, axel & chassis  |
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KS2 Vocabulary List Examples
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Settlement valley mountain community Vegetation weathering landscape soil erosion [within weathering] relief map peat port political map loam harbour cliff clay factory ocean lake office fieldwork transport [carry] industry sketch diagram compass North East South East North West South West Weather climate zone polar equator Tropical longitude latitude environment  |
Greenhouse warm polytunnel contour humid intensive farming height coastal arable farming hydroponics evaporation market gardening allotment precipitation mixed farming distribution condensation organic farming import hemisphere distance export productivity scale native/ indigenous natural resources grid reference sustainable man-made materials satellite weathering/erosion hemisphere settlement patterns natural disaster tropical inland ox-bow lake polar urban/ rural spring [water] trade |
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Rolling Programme
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Year A |
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EYFS |
Structures – Junk Modelling Cooking and Nutrition – Soup Textiles – Bookmarks Structures – Boats Seasonal projects |
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Y 1 & 2 |
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Mechanisms: Make a moving story book  |
Structures: Constructing a windmill  |
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Y 3 & 4 |
Electrical systems: Torches |
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Structure: Pavilions |
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Y 5 & 6 |
Structures: bridges  |
Mechanical systems: making a pop-up book |
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Year B |
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EYFS |
Structures – Junk Modelling Cooking and Nutrition – Soup Textiles – Bookmarks Structures – Boats Seasonal projects |
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Y 1 & 2 |
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Cooking and nutrition: fruit and vegetables |
Textiles: puppets |
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Y 3 & 4 |
Mechanical Systems: Pneumatic toys |
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Mechanical Systems: Making a slingshot car |
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Y 5 & 6 |
Cooking and nutrition: come dine with me  |
Digital world: navigating the world  |
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Impact
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children begin to explore designing and making through play-based and practical activities. They investigate materials, build structures, and create simple products, developing early problem-solving skills and creativity. Children begin to talk about what they have made and how they can improve it.
In Key Stage 1, pupils develop basic practical skills through designing, making and evaluating simple products. They learn how to use tools safely and begin to understand how products are created for a purpose. Children communicate their ideas using simple drawings and labels, and begin to use subject-specific vocabulary.
In Key Stage 2, pupils build on these foundations by developing greater independence in the design process. They generate and refine ideas, select appropriate materials and tools, and evaluate their products against clear criteria. Pupils develop an understanding of how design and technology impacts everyday life and begin to learn about influential designers and innovations.
Across the school, pupils develop a secure understanding of the design, make and evaluate cycle. They learn to take risks, solve problems and adapt their ideas, building resilience and confidence. Practical skills are developed alongside knowledge of materials, structures, mechanisms and cooking and nutrition.
Pupils use subject-specific vocabulary with increasing accuracy and are able to explain their ideas, choices and evaluations clearly.
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have the knowledge, skills and creativity needed to continue their study of Design and Technology at Key Stage 3, and are able to apply their learning to real-life contexts.
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