Curriculum Intent

‘Design and Technology is fun and helps us to express our creativity. It allows us to experiment and learn new techniques in a safe and careful environment.  In the future, we will use technology to support ourselves and to help others. We believe that technology should be used to make the world a happier place.’

(Breadsall Y3 and Y4 Pupils 2024)

Design and Technology: to inspire change through innovation and curiosity

At Breadsall Hill Top Primary School, we believe in inspiring innovation in all children. We aim to deliver an engaging, practical curriculum that enables children to develop both the knowledge of technology and the skills of design, creation and evaluation. We care that they become confident innovators themselves, drawing upon the identity of the local community.

We care that our children are encouraged to:

• ask questions about how and why things work or don’t work, demonstrating awe and wonder in the world of technology
• be confident, creative and curious in using a range of skills to achieve a functional purpose;
• be adept at finding inspiration from a variety of sources, including from the local community and wider Derby area
• develop a rich and extensive vocabulary, enabling them to articulate their concept;
• be courageous when solving problems, reflecting on prior knowledge and the past successes and failures of diverse innovators and engineers, and adopting a systematic approach where possible;
• be resilient, adaptable leaders within their own learning, understanding that struggle is often a necessary step in the process;
• confidently work both independently and collaboratively within a safe, secure learning environment where everyone can flourish

We know that a rich and secure knowledge base is essential for our children to be able to think and work like an engineer and in order to maintain the integrity of the subject discipline, we teach DT in isolation.

This curriculum ensures that knowledge is:

• Valued and specified
• Well-sequenced
• Taught to be remembered

We aim to inspire children to develop skills and knowledge of this practical subject through the delivery of two strands: Designing and Making alongside Cooking and Nutrition.  Teachers deliver learning sequences that explicitly build upon prior learning and enable children to achieve their intended outcome. The use of digital tools and other practical resources provide children with the opportunities to hone their skills and develop prototypes, ensuring that trial and error is a key aspect of the learning journey.

In a progressively innovative world, we aim for children to leave Breadsall with an inquisitive nature, keen to solve problems and consider how they could apply their knowledge and skills to future career opportunities, supporting advances in technology and contributing to sustainable change.