Design & Technology | St Mary's Catholic Primary Academy

At St Mary’s, Design Technology plays a pivotal role in our curriculum, serving as a source of inspiration and practical skill-building for our pupils. To ensure focused learning, we allocate one hour each week during the second half of each term to this subject. We use Kapow to aid our teaching, which provides a structured and engaging framework as well as supporting teachers to have strong subject-knowledge to deliver the subject effectively.

Our approach to Design Technology is holistic, fostering creativity and teamwork. Beyond product creation, we encourage pupils to tackle real-world problems, considering their own needs and the needs of others – all in line with the National Curriculum guidelines.

Our curriculum offers a comprehensive educational experience. Design Technology seamlessly integrates with other subjects such as mathematics, science, computing, and art, showcasing the real-world applications of learning and highlighting the interconnectedness of knowledge domains.

Critical thinking is at the core of our lessons. Children engage in reflection and evaluation of their work, fostering innovation and risk-taking as they refine their problem-solving skills.

In addition, our Design and Technology curriculum undergoes regular reviews, by senior leaders at St Mary’s, to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with our educational aims and curriculum vision. This ensures that our approach remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of the children and their barriers to learning.

By connecting learning to real-life structures and purposes, St Mary’s fosters a deep appreciation for the practicality and relevance of Design and Technology in our world today, which allows children to consider their future as designers or innovators.