Design and Technology
OUR JOURNEY THROUGH DT
Distinctive Christian Character
God created and designed the
world around us.
God has a good design
for our lives.
We give thanks to God for providing us with the beauty and order of creation, which
inspires us to design with purpose and imagination. We also thank God for giving us the ability to solve problems and to use our creativity to serve others.
Design and Technology requires perseverance and patience. We trust in God’s strength and help when we face challenges.
As a school community we show kindness to ourselves and to others through encouragement and celebration of our design work. All design is unique and we celebrate individuality and expression, as well as the creativity of designers throughout time and across the world.
Intended Curriculum
Design and Technology at Trent is practical, engaging and inclusive, equipping children to solve problems, think critically and create with purpose. We aim for children to become resourceful, innovative and capable designers and makers, to understand the design, make, evaluate cycle, and to gain technical knowledge and skills. Pupils also learn to evaluate how design impacts daily life, culture and history, and to use the language of Design and Technology confidently, preparing them to thrive in a technological world.
Our curriculum is aspirational, with skills and knowledge developing progressively across year groups. It is global, incorporating influential designers and the cultural and historical context of their work, and creative, encouraging innovation and risk-taking. The curriculum is skill-based, allowing pupils to apply technical knowledge to real projects with safe practice, and purposeful, with work critiqued and refined continuously. Learning is progressive, building on foundations established in the Early Years, and inclusive, ensuring accessibility for all pupils through appropriate support and differentiation.
Curriculum Delivery
Our approach is creativity-led and skills-based, with learning that is hands-on and provides opportunities to work independently and collaboratively. Lessons follow the design, make, evaluate cycle and are linked to wider projects, while technical knowledge is taught through meaningful and engaging contexts. Cooking and nutrition are taught practically, alongside an understanding of healthy diets. Pupils study designers, innovators and scientists, analysing the problems they solved and the impact of their work. Vocabulary is taught in context, displayed in classrooms and revisited regularly, and skills and knowledge build year on year, with prior learning continually reinforced.
The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is evident in lessons with clear objectives for skill development, while also allowing space for creativity beyond set outcomes. Teaching is inclusive and differentiated to ensure engagement and challenge for all pupils. Assessment draws on class discussions and questioning, observations of practical work, and evaluation of designs and projects. At the end of each year, teachers make a holistic judgement on whether pupils have met, exceeded or are working towards expectations, and these outcomes are used to report progress to parents.
Impact