Design and Technology Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Healey Junior, Infant and Nursery School, we aim to develop learners’ creativity, curiosity and imagination so they can design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a range of contexts. Learners are encouraged to consider their own needs and those of others when designing, ensuring their work is purposeful and meaningful.

We aim to, wherever possible, make strong links to other curriculum areas such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art, enabling learners to apply and consolidate their knowledge in practical and creative contexts. Learners are also given opportunities to evaluate existing products, both past and present, developing a critical understanding of design and its impact on daily life.

In line with the National Curriculum for Design and Technology (Key Stages 1 and 2), we aim to provide inspiring and purposeful learning experiences that enable learners to:

• Design purposeful, functional and appealing products for themselves and others based on design criteria
• Select from and use a wide range of materials, tools and components
• Explore, evaluate and analyse a range of existing products
• Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable

We aim for learners to become confident, innovative and reflective designers who are willing to take risks and develop solutions to real-world problems.

Implementation

Design and Technology at Healey is delivered through a carefully planned and progressive curriculum that ensures learners develop knowledge, understanding and skills through a variety of creative and practical activities. Learning is designed to be hands-on, purposeful and engaging, allowing learners to experience the full design–make–evaluate process.

Learners are taught to develop ideas through discussion, exploration and experimentation, before planning, making and evaluating their products. They are encouraged to reflect on their work throughout the process and to make improvements based on evaluation and feedback.

Where appropriate, learners are encouraged to extend their learning beyond the classroom through home-based creative projects, enabling them to develop skills collaboratively with family members and apply learning in real-life contexts.

Opportunities are provided for learners to explore a range of materials and techniques, ensuring progression in technical knowledge and practical skill development across year groups. Cross-curricular links are made to strengthen learning and provide meaningful contexts for design tasks.

Impact

By the time learners leave Healey, they will have developed the creativity, technical knowledge and practical skills needed to design and make high-quality products for a range of purposes. They will be able to apply their understanding confidently in everyday contexts and approach problems with creativity and resilience.

Learners are able to evaluate both their own work and existing products with increasing independence, developing a critical understanding of design and its role in society. They can explain their design choices and suggest improvements, demonstrating reflective and evaluative thinking.

Through a well-sequenced curriculum, learners make strong progress in Design and Technology and develop the confidence to take risks, solve problems and innovate. They leave school with an appreciation of how design and technology contribute to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of society.

Design and Technology in the Early Years

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Design and Technology is embedded within Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Learners are given opportunities to explore and investigate the world around them through hands-on, practical experiences.

From an early age, learners are encouraged to explore materials, tools and techniques safely and purposefully. They investigate how things work, experiment with construction and begin to develop early design skills through play-based learning.

Learning is planned around children’s interests and experiences, with opportunities to build, create, test and improve ideas. These experiences support the development of curiosity, problem-solving skills and early creativity, laying the foundations for future learning in Design and Technology.

The Lead Teacher for DT is Miss Lomas.