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Design and Technology (D&T) is a practical and creative subject that prepares pupils to participate confidently in an increasingly technological world. Through D&T at Pikemere, our children learn to think imaginatively, work purposefully, and solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts.
Across the whole school, D&T aims to:
- Develop pupils’ creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
- Encourage curiosity, innovation, and resilience through iterative design
- Enable pupils to apply knowledge from mathematics, science, computing, and art in practical ways
- Promote independence, collaboration, and effective communication
- Foster an understanding of how design and technology impact daily life, industry, sustainability, and the wider world
- Build essential life skills, including safe tool use, food preparation, and evaluating products
Implementation
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Design and Technology in our school follows a clear and consistent structure. Every unit of work follows the same four-stage pattern: Explore, Design, Make and Evaluate. This shared approach ensures continuity, progression, and a common language for children and staff across all year groups.
This process is revisited in every unit and built upon year by year, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding, refine their skills, and become increasingly independent designers and makers.
Each unit follows the sequence below:
a) Explore
- Explore existing products, systems, and designs related to the unit
- Investigate the needs of the user and the purpose of the product
- Research materials, tools, mechanisms, and techniques
- Learn from past and present designers, engineers, chefs, and technologists
b) Design
- Generate, communicate, and develop ideas through sketches, models, discussion, and planning
- Develop clear design criteria linked directly to the purpose and user
- Select appropriate materials, components, and techniques
- Consider function, aesthetics, sustainability, and safety
c) Make
- Use tools, equipment and materials safely and accurately
- Apply practical skills with increasing precision and control
- Follow plans while adapting and problem-solving where necessary
- Work independently and collaboratively to create a purposeful product
d) Evaluate
- Test and evaluate products against the design criteria
- Reflect on the effectiveness of both the final product and the design criteria
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement
- Suggest how designs could be refined, improved or adapted for different users and purposes
This consistent Explore–Design–Make–Evaluate cycle helps children to understand that designing is an iterative process, where ideas are developed, tested, and improved over time.
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Impact
The impact of Design and Technology is measured through the quality of children's work, their progression of skills, and their ability to design, make and evaluate purposeful products. Teachers assess learning through completed projects, observations, and pupil discussions, ensuring skills build progressively from year to year.
Children show increasing confidence, creativity, and independence, and can explain their design choices and suggest improvements. High levels of engagement and enjoyment further demonstrate the impact of the subject.
By the time they leave our school, children are confident, resilient learners who understand how design and technology shapes the world around them and are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.
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