Design and Technology
At St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, our Design and Technology curriculum inspires children to become creative thinkers, confident designers and skilled makers. Through practical, hands-on learning, pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and technical skills needed to design, make and evaluate products that solve real-life problems.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build progressively across each year group. Children revisit and refine previously taught skills through a well-planned progression, enabling them to become increasingly confident and independent designers. Throughout their time at St Joseph’s, pupils design and create products in a range of areas, including structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food technology.
To ensure high-quality learning experiences, teachers provide access to a wide range of quality tools, materials and resources that enable pupils to experiment, create and develop practical skills safely and effectively. Design and Technology is taught each term through two dedicated Design and Technology Days and an annual Design and Technology Week, allowing children to immerse themselves in the full design process and complete meaningful projects.
Our Approach to Teaching Design and Technology
Design and Technology is taught using the Talk for Writing Three I’s approach: Imitation, Innovation and Invention.
- Imitation – Children are introduced to new technical knowledge, practical skills and design techniques through modelling, exploration and guided learning.
- Innovation – Pupils apply their new knowledge and skills in different contexts, adapting and refining ideas as they become more confident.
- Invention – Children use everything they have learned to independently design and create products that have purpose, meet a user’s needs and solve real-world problems.
Throughout every project, pupils are encouraged to think carefully about the purpose of their product, who it is for and how it can be improved. Evaluation is an essential part of the design process, enabling children to reflect on their work, identify strengths and consider ways to refine and improve their designs.
By the end of their time at St Joseph’s, our pupils will have developed the creativity, resilience, practical skills and problem-solving abilities needed to become innovative designers and responsible citizens, equipped with the confidence to make a positive contribution to the world around them.
