Design & Technology

The importance of Design and Technology

Design and technology (D&T) prepares pupils to participate in tomorrow’s

rapidly changing technologies. They learn to think and intervene creatively to

improve the quality of life. The subject calls for pupils to become independent

and creative problem solvers both as individuals and as members of a team.

They must look for needs, wants and opportunities, responding to them by

developing a range of design ideas for making products and systems. In their

designing and making, pupils combine practical skills with an understanding of

aesthetics, social and environmental issues and function.  As they do so, they reflect on, learn from and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and effects.

Teaching and learning

D&T activities are taught in a variety of ways across the school, sometimes in

blocks of taught time, as part of a topic, or in short skills-based activities. D&T

has relevance across the curriculum and links with other subjects; science

and art and design, in particular, are identified in the units of work.

D&T activities are planned to ensure continuity and progression by building on

the specific knowledge skills and understanding contained in the subject

profile. Appropriate units of work have been planned using a combination of topic work and the QCA scheme of work.