Design and Technology
At Hadrian Academy, we achieve excellence together in Design and Technology by following the National Curriculum alongside carefully planned lessons from Kapow.
Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to inspire creativity and innovation through practical and engaging experiences. Pupils will develop the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to design, make and evaluate purposeful products for real-life contexts. Through our planned curriculum, pupils build confidence in using a range of tools, materials and techniques, while developing resilience, problem-solving skills and creativity.
The six key areas of Design and Technology are revisited throughout their time at Hadrian Academy, allowing pupils to build and develop their knowledge and skills progressively. Electrical Systems and the Digital World are introduced in Key Stage 2.
- Cooking and nutrition
- Electrical systems
- Mechanisms/Mechanical systems
- Structures
- Textiles
- Digital world
Our scheme of work is designed as a spiral curriculum, based on the following key principles:
- Cyclical: Pupils revisit key strands repeatedly throughout their time in primary school.
- Increasing depth: Each time a strand is revisited, it is explored with greater complexity.
- Prior knowledge: Pupils draw on previously learned knowledge, building on existing foundations rather than starting anew.
Our key learning focuses on developing creative design skills and bringing ideas to life, alongside building practical making skills using a range of tools and materials. Pupils also develop their ability to evaluate designs through reflection and testing. Through these experiences, pupils may be inspired by the culinary creativity of Gordon Ramsay, aspire to design and build impressive structures like Isambard Kingdom Brunel, or explore the world of fashion inspired by designers such as Louis Vuitton. Cross-curricular links are made where appropriate, particularly with science, computing and mathematics, to deepen understanding and provide meaningful contexts for learning.
Design and Technology is a vibrant part of your child’s learning, providing practical and engaging opportunities to solve problems and develop new skills. Pupils are encouraged to design, make and evaluate their own ideas through hands-on projects, from creating models to preparing food. D&T also develops problem-solving, teamwork, resilience and creativity, aligning with Hadrian Academy’s values and supporting pupils to become confident, innovative thinkers in an ever-changing world. Lessons are practical and engaging, allowing pupils to explore the full design process: designing, making and evaluating.
Yearly DT Overview:
Impact
As a result of our Design and Technology curriculum, pupils leave Hadrian Academy with a strong understanding of the design process and the confidence to apply their skills creatively. They are able to design and make products that meet a specific purpose, evaluate their work thoughtfully, and demonstrate resilience when refining their ideas.
Formative Assessment: our units of learning include ongoing assessment opportunities, such as questioning, retrieval practice and interactive activities. These enable teachers to assess understanding in real time and adapt their teaching accordingly.
Summative Assessment: Each unit provides an Assessment quiz and Knowledge catcher, which allow teachers to measure pupils’ understanding at key points. These tools help gauge how well pupils have retained key knowledge and skills over time and we are looking to begin formally tracking our DT achievement at the end of each unit as well as from year to year.