At Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum is guided by our Christian vision that “All things are possible for one who believes”, and is deeply rooted in our ACHIEVE curriculum drivers:
• Aspire
• Challenge
• Honour every individual
• Inspire curiosity and creativity
• Embed strong values
• Value community and global connections
• Empower through knowledge
Using the Kapow Primary scheme as a basis, our intent is to aspire for all children to become confident, creative designers who are not afraid to take risks and think innovatively. We challenge pupils to think critically and solve real-world problems through hands-on learning, ideation, and reflection.
Our curriculum honours every individual, ensuring that Design and Technology is inclusive, accessible and relevant to all learners regardless of starting point or background. It aims to inspire curiosity and creativity, helping children to explore how design affects our lives and how they can shape a better future through invention and problem-solving.
We embed strong values - such as resilience, responsibility, and compassion -through collaborative work and self-reflection. Our Christian Value for this subject is Respect. Projects often involve considering the needs of others, supporting children to make ethical and sustainable design decisions. Our Forest School therefore is embedded in our DT curriculum.
Through links to local industry, heritage and environmental issues, we value our community and wider world, giving children real purpose for their learning. By building technical vocabulary, modelling techniques, and encouraging iterative improvement, we empower pupils with the skills, confidence and self-belief to flourish - in school and in life.
Design and Technology at Kirby Hill is not just about making things - it's about developing thoughtful, imaginative, and capable young people ready to engage with the challenges of a fast-changing world.

Our Design and Technology curriculum is structured around the three key stages of the design process: design, make, and evaluate. Each of these is supported by a strong foundation in technical knowledge and understanding of real-life contexts. In line with the National Curriculum, we also place a distinct focus on Cooking and Nutrition, teaching children the principles of healthy eating and food preparation.
The curriculum is built across four key strands:
• Design
• Make
• Evaluate
• Technical Knowledge
Children engage in six key areas that spiral through the curriculum, allowing them to revisit and build on prior learning with increasing depth:
• Mechanisms
• Structures
• Textiles
• Food
• Electrical systems (KS2)
• Digital world (KS2)
Lessons are designed to be accessible, inclusive and engaging, incorporating a range of strategies - from hands-on practical work to digital and group-based learning. Knowledge organisers and clear progression documents support pupils’ understanding and recall of key vocabulary and concepts.

Pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. Our DT curriculum is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning.

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust Design and technology curriculum. Teacher confidence is supported through regular CPD and dedicated subject leadership time, helping ensure all children receive high-quality learning experiences.

We alternate our DT teaching every half-term with art.

The impact of DT is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson teachers assess pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit.

By the end of each key stage, pupils will have developed a deep and secure understanding of the skills and knowledge outlined in the National Curriculum. They will have the confidence to design, make, test and evaluate a range of purposeful products, understanding their impact on individuals, society and the wider world.
Our Children will:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.

• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.

• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.

• Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.

• Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.

• Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.

• Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

• Make connections between their learning, their Christian values, and real-world issues
Ultimately, our Design and Technology curriculum equips children with not only the technical skills and knowledge they need for future learning, but also the character, confidence and belief that they can contribute meaningfully to the world around them - guided by hope, love, and a sense of purpose.