Design & Technology

INTENT

At Ashlands, we believe that Design and Technology is an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. Our Design and Technology curriculum engages pupils in exploring their own creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants, and values.

We believe that through purposeful design, children not only develop practical skills but also begin to understand the impact of their ideas on the wider world—encouraging responsibility, reflection, and empathy. These experiences help nurture spiritual awareness and promote a deeper appreciation for creativity as a meaningful way to express themselves and contribute to the world around them.

High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth, wellbeing, and spiritual growth of individuals, supporting them to live life in all its fullness.

IMPLEMENTATION

At Ashlands Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which aims to enable all children—regardless of background, ability or additional needs—to flourish and become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.

Design and Technology is taught through topics as identified in the school’s four-year rolling programme, allowing for mixed-age classes while ensuring all children build on prior learning, developing skills and knowledge alongside a love of learning. The curriculum encourages children to take pride in their work, persevere through challenge, and reflect on how design can improve lives—fostering a sense of purpose and connection with the world.

 Ashlands Primary School’s design technology curriculum comprises of:

Design
Designing purposeful, functional, and appealing products through the generation of plans and communicating their ideas in a variety of ways.

Make
Selecting and using a wide range of tools and equipment alongside a range of materials and components.

Evaluate
Exploring and evaluating a range of existing products, as well as their own ideas and products.

Technical Knowledge and Understanding
Building complex structures; understanding and using mechanical systems in their products; and using electrical systems within their products. As part of their work with food, pupils are taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating.

Cross-curricular opportunities are specifically planned for, with meaningful links made with other subjects such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art. Vocabulary is a key part of our Design and Technology curriculum, with children developing their subject knowledge to use subject-specific vocabulary confidently.

IMPACT

At Ashlands Primary School, the super-six values underpin all teaching. The children are encouraged to show friendship, trust forgiveness, compassion and respect when working collaboratively, and aspiration when working independently to complete tasks.

By the time children leave Ashlands Primary School they will:

  • be inspired by the work of expert designers, engineers and technicians – both past and current
  • have an understanding of the exciting range of careers available in the ever-developing world
  • Understand the principles of design and the processes involved in the creation of prototypes and quality finished products
  • Be able to use a variety of tools and materials with accuracy
  • Be inspired to take risks in their designs and understand the value of evaluating, reworking and improving initial design
  • Be able to plan, and create exciting meals using a range of healthy ingredients
  • Have had opportunities to present and share their ideas, designs and products with others.

Across the school, foundation subject assessment grids are used to record individual pupil progress. These are passed to subsequent teachers and enable teachers to ensure children’s prior attainment is factored into all planning, aspiring to ensure all children achieve ARE and GD where possible and that our KS2 children are ready for their secondary school. All children are tracked through a robust assessment tracking system, with children targeted to maintain or accelerate their progress as appropriate.

  • Information from the assessment grids will be used to:
  • inform parents about the progress of their child during parents’ evenings and reports
  • inform discussions with the SLT/HT about the progression of individual children during pupil progress meetings.

Across a unit of work in Design and Technology lessons, the SLT would expect to see:

  • Opportunities for children to express their creativity and imagination, recognising the value of their ideas and their potential to make a positive difference.
  • Children who feel confident to take risks, learn through trial and error, and grow from both success and failure—building inner confidence and courage.
  • Children working independently or cooperatively, showing respect, empathy, and a sense of shared purpose as they use a variety of tools and materials.
  • Children who show persistence and resilience, developing not only practical skills but also patience and determination—qualities that contribute to their personal and spiritual growth.
  • Children who are proud of what they have accomplished, finding meaning and joy in the process of creating.
  • Time taken to evaluate and reflect on their work, considering how it could be improved, and recognising how thoughtful design can have an impact beyond themselves—encouraging deeper connection and purpose.

The 2014 National Curriculum for Design Technology aims to ensure that all children:

  • develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
  • build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
  • critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
  • understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.