Design & Technology
DT Cycle A OverviewDT Cycle B OverviewSkills Progression
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At its heart, Design and Technology is about imagining possibilities and creating purposeful solutions that improve everyday life.
At Beech Grove, we believe that Design andTechnology inspires children to become creative thinkers, confident problem-solvers and purposeful designers. Through practical, hands-on learning, we equip children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems and meet the needs of others. Our curriculum, guided by the Design and Technology Association (DATA) progression framework, develops children's creativity alongside the technical and practical expertise they need to turn ideas into purposeful, functional products.
From their earliest experiences in EYFS, children explore materials, investigate how things work and begin to design with a purpose, laying the foundations for increasingly ambitious design and technological thinking.
Through an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum, we teach children to think like designers, engineers and makers. They investigate existing products, consider the needs of users, generate and communicate ideas, develop models and prototypes and make informed choices about materials, tools and techniques. As they progress, children develop increasing accuracy and technical knowledge while learning to research, test, evaluate and refine their ideas. We teach children that great design rarely happens first time; successful products evolve through testing, adapting and improving. In doing so, children discover that Design and Technology is far more than simply making things — it is about combining creativity, knowledge and practical expertise to find effective solutions to real problems.
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Learning is enriched through meaningful projects that connect Design and Technology with children's wider learning and the world around them. Children work with structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, textiles, food and computer-aided design, applying knowledge from subjects such as mathematics, science, computing and art while developing valuable practical skills. They learn to take creative risks, respond resourcefully when things do not work as planned and persevere in improving their designs. Through designing for different users and purposes, children develop independence, collaboration and pride in creating high-quality products that are functional, thoughtful and meaningful.
Through engaging opportunities to design, make and evaluate, pupils are enriched by experiences that develop creativity, resilience and innovation, gaining the confidence to excel as thoughtful, resourceful and purposeful designers.
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