Statement of Intent - Design and Technology

At Fulwood and Cadley Primary School, we believe Design and Technology provides children with opportunities to become creative thinkers, problem-solvers and innovators.

Our Design and Technology curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and is carefully sequenced so that children progressively develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to design, make and evaluate purposeful products.

Children learn to consider the needs of a user, explore existing products, develop and communicate their ideas, select appropriate tools and materials and evaluate and improve their finished products.

How We Teach Design and Technology

Design and Technology is taught through carefully sequenced units within our two-year rolling curriculum.

Each unit is driven by a purposeful Big Question and begins by making connections with children's prior learning. Key technical knowledge, vocabulary, processes and skills are explicitly taught and revisited as children progress through school.

Children investigate and evaluate existing products before developing their own ideas. They are taught how to use tools, equipment and materials safely and accurately and are encouraged to apply their knowledge to solve practical problems.

The Design Process

Our Design and Technology curriculum follows a clear process of research, design, make and evaluate.

Children are taught that successful products rarely begin with a perfect first idea. They develop designs, create prototypes where appropriate, test their ideas and make changes in response to what they discover.

Children are encouraged to evaluate throughout the process rather than simply evaluating their finished product. They consider whether their product is fit for purpose and meets the needs of its intended user.

At the end of each unit, children use their accumulated knowledge and skills to respond to the Big Question and create a purposeful final outcome.

Developing Independent Designers

We want our children to become confident, resourceful and independent designers who are willing to take risks, solve problems and learn from designs that do not work as expected.

As children progress through school, they take increasing responsibility for making decisions about their designs, including selecting appropriate materials, tools, components and techniques.

Children are encouraged to draw upon previous learning and independently use the resources available to them, including working walls, examples and prototypes, reference materials, iPads and curriculum loan boxes.

Through our Design and Technology curriculum, we aim to develop children who can think creatively, solve problems, evaluate critically and turn their ideas into purposeful products.