Design and Technology Curriculum Overview

Intent

At Bromet Primary School, our Design and Technology (DT) curriculum aims to nurture creativity, technical skills, and practical expertise, enabling all pupils to confidently perform everyday tasks and thrive in a technology-rich world. We aspire to develop problem-solvers, innovators, and reflective thinkers who:

• Are inspired by real-life contexts that make learning relevant and meaningful.

• Gain a deep understanding of the design process through iterative designing, making, and evaluating.

• Develop essential nutrition and cooking skills for lifelong health and well-being.

• Build technical knowledge progressively in mechanisms, structures, textiles, electronics, and food preparation.

• Always consider the needs of intended users and design purposeful, functional products.

By embedding the principles of intended user, purpose, and context, our pupils create meaningful and functional products with a strong foundation for future learning in design, technology, and engineering.

Implementation

Our DT curriculum is delivered through termly discrete units across all year groups, integrating National Curriculum strands with engaging, practical projects. Each unit follows a clear design–make–evaluate cycle, often linked to other subjects like English, Science, History, and Maths.

Key features include:

• Progressive Skills Development: From early cutting and joining in EYFS and KS1, advancing to computer-aided design, electronics, and sophisticated textiles in KS2.

• Thematic, Real-World Projects: Grounded in children’s experiences, storytelling, environmental awareness, and personal health, e.g., healthy food preparation, making puppets, or building animal shelters.

• Contextual Relevance: Projects always consider the user and purpose, ensuring age-appropriate, meaningful design challenges.

• Cooking and Nutrition: Hands-on food preparation across all key stages, starting with simple fruit and sandwich making, progressing to savoury dishes and cultural recipes.

• Industry Partnerships: Workshops such as Wagamama Food Workshop enrich practical learning with real-world expertise.

• Cross-Curricular Links: Opportunities in Maths (measuring, budgeting), Computing (CAD, coding), Geography (seasonality), and PSHE (healthy choices, teamwork) enhance understanding and relevance.

Impact

Our curriculum ensures pupils become confident designers and makers who can critically evaluate their work and that of others. Impact is demonstrated by:

• High Engagement and Enjoyment: Pupils value purposeful, creative making activities.

• Clear Skills Progression: From using simple mechanisms in KS1 to advanced mechanical systems and textiles in KS2.

• Resilience and Problem Solving: Pupils learn to test, adapt, and improve their designs collaboratively.

• Cross-Curricular Application: Skills transfer effectively to other subjects, e.g., budgeting in food projects, creating supportive reading materials.

• Real-World Understanding: Awareness of DT’s role in everyday life, healthy living, and cultural traditions.

• Preparation for Future Learning: Pupils leave Bromet equipped to plan, create, and evaluate thoughtfully, ready for secondary education and beyond.

We monitor impact through pupil voice, teacher assessment, and review of practical outcomes such as prototypes and finished projects.

Termly Project Highlights (2025-2026)

EYFS: Make a Holiday Bag Tag, Create Wild Thing Puppets, Fruit & Veggie Faces, Paper Plate Owl Masks, Pirate Telescopes.
KS1: Self-Portrait Textiles, Moving Pictures with Sliders, Pet Houses, Jungle Animal Mechanical Systems, Playground Models, Healthy Wraps & Smoothies.
KS2: Moving Monsters with Pneumatics, Electrical Night Lights, Mechanical Moving Posters, Microbit Doorbell Alerts, Desk Organisers, Textile Badges, Cold Wrap Kits, Layered Salad Jars.