“I like to design things, the more things the better”

Isla Year 3

Design Technology at Codnor Primary School reflects the purposeful journey for the whole child. With Britain leading Europe in terms of technology investment (£28 billion since 2011) and with the fashion industry worth around £32 billion a year to our economy, a solid foundation in this subject is paramount, not only to the UK, but to our pupils as the next generation. We aim to provide potential pathways for our children’s way forward in the world, regardless of personal circumstance. In Design Technology, we relish shaping the manufacturers and entrepreneurs of the future! We ignite pupils’ curiosity and fascination with the design and development, construction and evaluation of products undertaken by themselves and ones in the wider world.

We encourage our students to think, act and speak like those working in this field would: to research thoroughly, to weigh-up evidence, to understand what a need for a product is, to evaluate interpretations and develop arguments. Our DT curriculum provides opportunities additional to the National Curriculum endpoints, to build cultural capital and, through exposure in DT lessons to life skills such as innovation and entrepreneurship, enable pupils to become well-rounded members of society in preparation for later life.

Aims:

• Significant levels of originality and the willingness to take creative risks to produce innovative ideas and prototypes.
• An excellent attitude to learning and independent working.
• The ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.
• The ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs.
• The ability to act as responsible designers and makers, working ethically, using finite materials carefully and working safely.
• A thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.
• The ability to apply mathematical knowledge.
• The ability to manage risks well to manufacture products safely and hygienically.
• A passion for the subject and knowledge of up-to-date technological innovations in materials, products and systems.

Through sequences of lessons and topics, pupils' design, construction and evaluative skills are built, reinforced, and transferred into other contexts, allowing children to deepen their understanding and remember what they learn.

Our pupils leave Codnor Primary School with the knowledge to think, speak and act like a designer, a constructor and evaluator, and they value the transference of these skills into their every day life, in education and beyond.

How Design & Technology looks at Codnor:

Design & Technology objective progression:

National Curriculum objectives have been carefully allocated to each year group to ensure a well-sequenced Design and Technology curriculum. This approach enables pupils to progressively develop their designing, making, and evaluating skills while systematically building and deepening technical knowledge and understanding of materials, tools, and processes over time.

Design & Technology knowledge progression:

Disciplinary knowledge and practical skills are deliberately planned and sequenced within and across year groups so that key concepts are revisited, refined, and secured, enabling learning to become embedded and “sticky”. This coherent and cumulative approach ensures pupils develop the subject-specific knowledge and skills required to think, design, make, and evaluate like designers and technologists, allowing them to tackle increasingly complex, subject-specific challenges with confidence. Through this rigorous and thoughtfully designed curriculum, pupils are empowered to let their light shine as creative, capable learners who are well prepared for future study and for solving real-world problems beyond the classroom.

Design & Technology medium term plans:

The golden threads of Design & Technology:

In Design and Technology at Codnor Primary School, golden threads are the key skills, knowledge and design processes that run throughout the curriculum. These threads are deliberately revisited and built upon across year groups, enabling pupils to make connections between designing, making and evaluating, while deepening their technical understanding over time. By revisiting these core elements, learning becomes secure and purposeful, supporting pupils to think creatively, solve problems and work like designers and engineers.

The document below sets out the golden threads of Design and Technology and shows how they are explicitly taught and revisited across year groups, ensuring a coherent, cumulative and well-sequenced curriculum that reflects our vision to Let Your Light Shine.

Pupil Voice:

Gallery:

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