Design and Technology
Vision for Design and Technology
At Ashton Hayes Primary School, we believe that Design and Technology prepares children to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. As a small rural school in Cheshire, many of our pupils have limited opportunities to explore the wide range of technologies, products, cultures and industries that exist beyond their immediate community. Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to both celebrate practical creativity and broaden pupils’ understanding of how design and technology shape everyday life locally, nationally and globally.
Through designing, making, evaluating and refining products, pupils develop creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills. They learn how products are designed for specific users and purposes and begin to understand how design decisions affect function, appearance and usability. Pupils explore a range of disciplines including textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and nutrition, and electrical systems.
We want pupils to see themselves as designers, makers and innovators who can identify problems, generate ideas and create purposeful products. Through practical experiences, pupils learn to take risks, evaluate outcomes and improve their work through testing and refinement. As a rural village school, we recognise the importance of providing pupils with meaningful, hands-on experiences that develop confidence and independence. Our curriculum therefore provides opportunities for pupils to work with a wide range of tools, materials, ingredients and components while developing the technical knowledge and vocabulary needed to understand how products are designed and made. We place strong value on practical learning that is relevant to pupils’ lives and experiences, enabling pupils to design and make products for familiar users and purposes while also exploring how technology and design influence the wider world.
Our Design and Technology curriculum is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively across year groups. Pupils revisit key strands including textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and nutrition, and electrical systems, developing increasing control, accuracy, independence and technical understanding over time. In Key Stage 1, pupils begin by exploring simple products and developing basic making skills such as cutting, joining, shaping and assembling. Across Key Stage 2, pupils build on this foundation by developing greater precision, independence and understanding of how products function. Through this progressive approach, pupils develop curiosity, resilience and pride in practical achievement while gaining the knowledge and skills required by the National Curriculum.
We aim for all pupils to:
- develop creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and 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
- evaluate and test ideas and products against design criteria and design specifications
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook
- become reflective learners who can adapt, refine and improve their work through testing and evaluation
Implementation
Design and Technology at Ashton Hayes Primary School is taught through a carefully planned sequence of projects that ensure progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary across the school.
The curriculum is organised around key strands including textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and nutrition, and electrical systems. These strands are revisited across the two-year rolling programme so that pupils develop increasingly secure understanding and technical competence over time.
Lessons follow the design process of research, design, make and evaluate. Pupils investigate existing products, identify users and purposes, generate ideas, develop design criteria and create products using a range of materials, tools and techniques. Throughout the making process, pupils are encouraged to test, refine and improve their work.
Technical knowledge and vocabulary are explicitly taught within each project. Pupils learn how mechanisms create movement, how structures achieve strength and stability, how textiles are joined and constructed, and how ingredients can be prepared and combined safely.
Food and nutrition are taught progressively across the school. Pupils begin with simple food preparation and hygiene before developing skills such as measuring, cutting, combining and cooking ingredients independently. Older pupils learn how recipes can be adapted to improve nutrition, taste, texture and presentation.
The curriculum makes strong use of practical, hands-on learning. Pupils are given regular opportunities to explore materials, test ideas and solve problems through experimentation and evaluation. Teachers model technical skills clearly and adapt learning to ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum successfully.
The curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure clear progression:
- in textiles, pupils progress from simple joining techniques to constructing multi-component products with accuracy and control
- in mechanisms, pupils progress from simple sliders and levers to more complex systems involving pneumatics, CAMs, gears and pulleys
- in structures, pupils progress from simple freestanding structures to reinforced frame structures and load-bearing bridge designs
- in food and nutrition, pupils progress from basic preparation and combining techniques to cooking independently and adapting recipes
- in electrical systems, pupils progress from simple circuits to creating more complex functional systems with defined inputs and outputs
Enrichment opportunities such as themed projects, cooking experiences and practical challenges further deepen pupils’ understanding and engagement.
Impact
Through the Design and Technology curriculum at Ashton Hayes Primary School, pupils develop creativity, resilience and confidence in practical problem-solving. They gain a secure understanding of how products are designed, made and improved to meet the needs of specific users and purposes.
Pupils leave the school with an increasingly secure understanding of key technical concepts within textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and nutrition, and electrical systems. They develop the ability to apply practical skills with growing independence, accuracy and control.
Pupils learn to evaluate products critically, justify design decisions and refine their work through testing and adaptation. They understand that design is an iterative process and that products can be improved through reflection and modification.
By engaging with a wide range of practical experiences, pupils develop confidence in using tools, equipment, materials and ingredients safely and effectively. They also develop the resilience needed to solve problems, overcome challenges and learn from mistakes.
Food and nutrition teaching helps pupils develop an understanding of healthy eating, food preparation and cooking skills that they can apply in everyday life.
Ultimately, pupils leave Ashton Hayes Primary School as creative, reflective and capable learners who are prepared for the next stage of their education and able to participate confidently in an increasingly technological world.