Design & Technology
Intent
Design and Technology inspires creativity, innovation and practical problem-solving. At Mount Pleasant Primary School, we aim to develop children’s confidence, technical skills and ability to take risks through designing, making and evaluating. Pupils learn to become reflective, resourceful and enterprising citizens, with an understanding of how design and technology impacts everyday life.
We want pupils to:
- Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to complete everyday tasks confidently
- Gain the knowledge and skills to design and make high-quality products for a range of users
- Evaluate their own products and those of others critically
- Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and cooking
Implementation
Our Design and Technology curriculum follows the National Curriculum for England and is carefully sequenced to ensure knowledge and skills build over time. Teachers use resources from the CUSP scheme of work, which supports pupils in understanding the full design process: design, make and evaluate.
Learning is organised across six key areas:
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and nutrition
- Electrical systems - KS2
- Digital systems - KS2
Each area is revisited through a spiral curriculum, enabling pupils to return to key concepts with increasing depth and complexity. Lessons include independent, paired and group work, as well as practical, computer-based and creative tasks, ensuring all pupils can access the curriculum and are appropriately challenged.
Knowledge organisers support pupils in learning key vocabulary and facts, and attainment is assessed at the end of each unit against the planned objectives. Enrichment opportunities, including after-school clubs and STEM days, further strengthen and extend pupils’ learning.
Impact
By the time children leave Mount Pleasant Primary School, they are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to continue their learning in Design and Technology at Key Stage 3. They will:
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources
- Use tools safely and effectively to shape, decorate and manufacture products
- Apply a broad repertoire of skills to create high-quality, innovative outcomes
- Understand healthy eating, diets, recipes and cooking equipment
- Recognise the influence of key individuals, inventions and events
- Understand how their decisions can affect social, community and environmental issues
- Reflect on their work and identify ways to improve it
- Meet the end of Key Stage expectations in the National Curriculum for Design and Technology
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Pupil Voice
“I like DT because it’s fun and relaxing when we’re making things.”
“My favourite units were when I learnt how to do embroidery and weaving.”
“DT is an important subject because we need to learn how to make different things.”
“The new skill I learnt was how to make pop up books.”
“I want to become an inventor so I really enjoy making things in DT It helps me to get ideas.”