Design & Technology
Created to Design with Purpose
At St. George’s Church of England Primary School, we believe that each child is fearfully and wonderfully made, with the creativity and insight to design for good. Our Design and Technology curriculum invites children to become thoughtful problem-solvers who explore how to make life better, safer, more joyful, and more just. Rooted in our Christian vision that all children may flourish and live life to the full (John 10:10), we provide opportunities to create with compassion, plan with empathy, and serve with skill. Calling Questions and Spiritual Prompts encourage pupils to reflect on how design can honour dignity, meet human need, and care for creation.
Thinking with hands and hearts
Design and Technology is a practical subject, but its foundations are deeply intellectual. Pupils develop substantive knowledge of materials, tools, mechanisms, nutrition, and systems alongside disciplinary knowledge of how to think, plan, prototype, evaluate, and improve. Each unit follows the iterative design cycle—design, make, evaluate—underpinned by technical knowledge appropriate to the project. Whether constructing bridges, programming a digital product, or preparing a balanced meal, children are taught to make decisions based on purpose, safety, context, and the needs of others.
Knowledge is revisited and deepened through a spiral curriculum that builds progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Pupils encounter the six key areas—structures, mechanisms, textiles, cooking and nutrition, electrical systems, and the digital world—across their primary journey, ensuring fluency and breadth. Vocabulary is taught explicitly and contextually, enabling children to articulate their thinking clearly and confidently.
Inclusive design for all
Our approach ensures that every child can succeed as a designer, regardless of their starting point. Pupils are supported through visual instructions, scaffolded tasks, adaptive tools, and teacher modelling. Those working at greater depth are encouraged to take creative risks, develop independent briefs, and refine complex systems through testing and iteration. In every classroom, pupils are taught to value function, aesthetics, and impact equally—building a deep understanding of how design choices affect people, communities, and environments.
Kapow’s units enable purposeful application of cross-curricular knowledge from science, maths, and computing. Pupils learn to collect data, interpret specifications, apply measuring and technical skills, and document processes using sketches, diagrams, and prototypes. Oracy is built into the curriculum through collaborative problem-solving, presenting design ideas, and justifying evaluations.
Designing for justice, joy, and human need
Design and Technology is not simply about making things. It is about imagining what might be, and making it better. Through this subject, pupils come to see how design can promote justice, dignity, and sustainability. As they design for real users and evaluate the ethical impact of their work, they are invited into a deeper understanding of service and stewardship. Spiritual reflection is embedded throughout, encouraging pupils to ask: Who is this for? What difference will it make? How can I honour God through creativity?
By the end of Year 6, pupils leave St. George’s as reflective designers, skilled in problem-solving, critical thinking, and purposeful making. They are equipped to shape the world around them with imagination, responsibility, and care—and to know that the work of their hands can be an expression of love.