Design & Technology
Intent
At Alkerden, we believe Design & Technology offers learners the opportunity to apply creativity, imagination and practical skills to solve real problems. Our DT curriculum aims to:
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Encourage learners to think like designers, to generate ideas, plan their designs, make prototypes or products, and evaluate their results.
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Develop technical knowledge and practical skills in working with a variety of materials, components and media, including structures, mechanisms, textiles, food & nutrition, and (where appropriate) simple electrical or digital systems.
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Foster creativity, resilience and resourcefulness: enabling learners to take risks, experiment, test and refine their designs, learning from successes and failures.
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Build an awareness of how design and technology impact everyday life and wider society, including the environmental, social and cultural significance of what we design and make.
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Provide opportunities for learners to enjoy hands-on, meaningful, purposeful making, combining knowledge, skills and imagination.
Through this curriculum we aim to nurture confident, imaginative and capable young designers and makers who are prepared for the evolving demands of future learning and life.
Implementation
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Our DT curriculum is structured around the key design process: Design → Make → Evaluate, underpinned by growing technical knowledge and understanding. This process is revisited repeatedly, so learners build and deepen their skills over time.
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We ensure all learners have access to DT: tasks are differentiated, resources adapted as needed, and additional support provided for those who need it. At the same time, more confident or skilled learners are offered challenge through more complex design briefs, choices of materials or advanced techniques.
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DT is taught in blocks across the year so that each project has time for proper design, making and evaluation. Learners also have opportunities to link DT with other subjects, such as science, computing, art or environmental studies, giving real world relevance and cross-curricular learning.
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We cover a broad range of DT strands: Structures, Mechanisms, Textiles, Food & Nutrition, and, where resourcing allows, Electrical / Simple Digital Systems. Cooking and nutrition units teach practical food skills, healthy eating, and awareness of where food comes from.
Impact
By the time learners leave Alkerden, our Design & Technology curriculum will have fostered in them a set of practical skills, creative thinking and design mindset that they can draw on throughout life. Specifically, learners will:
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Have developed competence in a wide range of practical skills and techniques, working confidently with materials, tools, textiles, food, mechanisms or structures.
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Think and act like designers: able to generate ideas, plan, produce prototypes or products, test and evaluate, understanding that design is an iterative process and that improvement comes through reflection and revision.
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Demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness and innovation, using their imagination to solve problems, design for purpose, and develop original ideas.
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Understand the contexts and implications of design: considering functionality, purpose, sustainability, user needs, and the broader social or environmental impact of what they create.
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Communicate their ideas clearly through planning, drawing, discussion, evaluation and presentation, using the language of design and technology to explain their thinking and choices.
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Approach new design challenges with confidence, resilience and independence, equipped to adapt, learn and apply their skills in different situations.
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See themselves as capable makers, problem-solvers and creative contributors, not just consumers ready for future education, personal projects, and life beyond primary school.
The impact of our curriculum is visible in learners who approach making tasks with confidence and curiosity, collaborate or work independently with skill, reflect thoughtfully on their work, learn from feedback and mistakes, and take pride in their creative achievements. Over time, they build practical competence, creative confidence and a deeper understanding of design and technology’s value in everyday life and the wider world.
DT Across the Stages
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Learners begin to explore materials, experiment with simple tools and techniques, and express their ideas through markmaking, playbased construction, collage, and simple creative tasks. They learn to handle materials safely and begin to understand how their creations come together.
Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)
Learners design simple products, for example, models, small structures, basic sewn items, or simple food tasks, guided by their ideas and experiences. They learn to plan, select materials, make, and evaluate their work, developing foundational practical and creative skills.
Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6)
Learners refine their skills: they design for a purpose, think about user and context, choose appropriate materials, and build well-finished products. They may work on structures, mechanical systems, textiles, or food projects, and begin to understand technical knowledge behind materials and processes. They learn to evaluate and improve their designs and consider the wider impact of their creations on people, the community and the environment.
Inclusion & Support
Alkerden values the individuality of every learner. To support this, we ensure that:
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Tasks are adapted where needed. For learners who need additional support, we provide scaffolding, simplified tasks, alternative materials or extra guidance.
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More able and confident learners have opportunities for creativity and challenge, with open-ended design briefs, advanced techniques or choice of materials.
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All learners have access to appropriate resources and materials, and are supported to use tools safely and with confidence.
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Reflection and evaluation are embedded in learning, so learners of all levels learn to self-assess, plan improvements, and grow their skills over time.