Design and Technology

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." - Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.

Intent

At St Francis de Sales, our Design and Technology curriculum empowers pupils to become practical problem solvers who think creatively, work purposefully and apply technical knowledge with confidence. We value Design and Technology as a subject that nurtures innovation, develops resilience and encourages pupils to respond to real and relevant problems. Through meaningful design tasks, pupils learn how products are shaped by function, user needs and environmental considerations, enabling them to understand the influence of design and technology in the modern world.

Our curriculum is carefully structured to ensure progression across key strands including mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition. Pupils acquire and build upon essential technical knowledge, develop precision in practical skills and apply concepts from mathematics, science, computing and art to bring their ideas to life. Each project follows a clear design cycle of research, design, make and evaluate, allowing pupils to make informed decisions, test ideas and refine their outcomes.

Pupils are encouraged to think critically and work collaboratively, learning to communicate their ideas through annotated designs, prototypes and discussion. Oracy plays a central role, enabling pupils to articulate design choices, explain how products are constructed and justify decisions using increasingly technical vocabulary. High expectations are maintained through responsive differentiation, ensuring that all learners including those with SEND are challenged and supported to master skills progressively.

Our cooking and nutrition curriculum ensures pupils develop essential life skills, including understanding seasonality, practising safe food preparation techniques and creating balanced, nutritious dishes. Through hands on cooking experiences, pupils gain confidence, independence and a cultural appreciation of food as both a necessity and a creative expression.

As a result of this approach, pupils leave St Francis de Sales with the knowledge, creativity and technical capability to design and make high quality products that solve problems and meet real user needs. They are reflective, resourceful and resilient designers who understand how technology shapes the world and how their own innovative thinking can contribute to improving it.

Essential Knowledge:

Cohesion Strategy:

Coherence in Design and Technology is strengthened through our five essentials:
Acquisition and Retention of Knowledge (technical concepts, vocabulary and practical skills revisited and applied across mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition), Enriching Experiences (hands on making tasks, use of authentic tools and materials, real life design contexts and opportunities to work with specialists), Independence (pupils design, plan, make and evaluate with increasing autonomy, taking ownership of decisions, problem solving and refining their outcomes), Oracy (explaining design choices, evaluating products verbally, using technical vocabulary with accuracy and discussing the purpose, function and user of a product), and Understanding (applying knowledge across projects, making cross curricular links with subjects such as science, mathematics and computing, and recognising how design and technology impacts daily life and the wider world).

Implementation

Design and Technology is a vibrant and purposeful subject at St Francis de Sales, enabling pupils to understand how design shapes the world around them. Through a carefully structured curriculum, pupils explore a wide range of disciplines including mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition. Each project is rooted in meaningful, real-world contexts that encourage pupils to think creatively, solve problems and design products with a clear purpose and user in mind.

Supported by teacher modelling, high-quality resources and step-by-step demonstrations, pupils develop subject-specific knowledge alongside the practical and technical skills needed to design, make and evaluate effectively. The iterative design cycle is embedded throughout, enabling pupils to generate ideas through annotated sketches, produce and test prototypes, and refine their final products based on critical evaluation and user feedback. Cross-curricular links strengthen learning further, allowing pupils to apply mathematical, scientific and artistic principles with increasing fluency.

Cooking and nutrition provide pupils with essential life skills. They learn how to prepare and cook food safely, understand seasonality, and explore the importance of a healthy, balanced diet. Cooking is also celebrated as a creative and cultural practice, giving pupils the opportunity to develop competence and confidence in the kitchen.

Learning is enriched through engagement with industry professionals, workshops and authentic design experiences that give pupils insight into the wider world of design and technology. Through these opportunities, pupils gain a deeper understanding of the impact of design on society and develop aspirations for future pathways. By the time they leave St Francis de Sales, pupils are confident, capable and reflective designers who can think critically, work independently and bring their ideas to life with imagination and purpose.

Impact

We use a range of methods to measure and evaluate the impact of our Design and Technology curriculum and its implementation. This allows us to reflect, refine and continually improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Formative Assessment:

• Ongoing formative assessment in lessons allows teachers to assess pupils’ understanding of technical knowledge and practical skills. Teachers model techniques, provide guidance, address misconceptions and adapt tasks to ensure appropriate challenge and support.

• Regular monitoring of pupil work by the Subject Lead ensures progression, consistency and high standards across all year groups.

• Teacher questioning and discussion during projects enable pupils to explain their thinking, justify design choices and demonstrate understanding of key vocabulary and processes.

Summative Assessment:

• Pupils complete a final independent product at the end of each project, allowing teachers to assess technical skills, creativity, problem solving and effective use of the design process.

• Baseline and end of unit assessments are used to measure progress, knowledge retention and skill development over time.

• End of year assessments support accurate judgements on attainment and inform future curriculum planning.

Monitoring and Feedback:

• The Design and Technology Subject Lead carries out regular lesson observations, work scrutinies and pupil discussions to ensure teaching remains high quality and accessible for all learners.

• Pupil voice is used to assess enjoyment, engagement, confidence and understanding of both technical knowledge and practical skills.

• Teacher voice and ongoing professional dialogue with the Subject Lead support continuous reflection, shared practice and curriculum improvement.

Wider Opportunities and Real World Impact:

• Pupils apply Design and Technology learning across the wider curriculum and in real life problem solving contexts.

• Cooking and nutrition sessions develop key life skills, promoting independence, confidence and healthy lifestyle choices.

• Partnerships with industry professionals and external experts enrich learning and broaden pupils’ awareness of future career pathways.
   

Through this structured approach, pupils leave St Francis de Sales as confident, capable and reflective designers who can apply technical skills effectively, think creatively, solve problems independently and understand the real world relevance of Design and Technology.

Design and Technology Data:

At entry, all pupils complete a low-stakes baseline in each subject, assessing baseline knowledge and understanding. Throughout the year, pupils revisit and revise key content using the same format. A final end-of-year/topic assessment evaluates retention.  Results inform teacher judgements and subject leader evaluations of curriculum impact. Scores are used to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum, identify gaps in key components and support accurate teacher assessment of attainment and progress.

Impact Presentation

This presentation demonstrates the standards and progress of pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 through our “Golden Threads” of the iterative design process—research, practise, design, make and evaluate—across the areas of mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition.