The Design Technology Curriculum at St Mary's

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School we strive to give our pupils opportunities that will enable them to be happy, healthy and successful in the wider world. Design and engineering touches every part of our modern lives and at the end of their time here at St Mary’s, we want our children to be aware of the applications of design and engineering in everyday life, be able to think of creative solutions to everyday problems and to be able to apply their learning from other subjects such as Science, Mathematics and Art in practical ways.

Every year group undertakes a minimum of three Design Technology projects throughout the year. These include projects that focus on: understanding and using a variety of mechanisms, choosing and using a wide variety of materials and tools, learning a range of cooking techniques, learning about where their food comes from and finding out about significant figures and events in the history of design and engineering.

Design Technology projects include a mixture of discussion, research, design, making and evaluation. Each project seeks to develop the children’s skills in understanding the design process, using a wide variety of tools safely and with confidence, creating detailed design diagrams and drawings, undertaking research and evaluating their own designs and products. Projects are planned to ensure that children’s skills progress as they move through each year group in our school.

Our teachers also continue to develop their skills in Design Technology all the time, with fantastic support from the Design Technology department at Beacon Academy.