Design and Technology (DT) is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. At RMJS, we aim to stimulate and capture children’s creativity when designing and making exciting products for real purposes within a variety of contexts.  DT is a valuable part of our whole school curriculum as it draws on a range of skills and subjects including maths, art, science, computing and PSHE.  Our children learn how to become innovative designers and engineers as they use their creativity, resourcefulness and resilience.  Through critical evaluation of DT projects, children develop an in-depth understanding of their impact, success and value.  We prepare children well for continuing their journey in DT through KS3 and beyond.    

Our Design and Technology curriculum has 4 key elements: Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical Knowledge.  As designers, children research and develop ideas to create appealing products that are fit for purpose, communicating their designs through a range of drawings, models, IT and discussion.  As makers, children select and use a wide range of tools, equipment and materials to perform practical tasks to meet specific design criteria.  In order to effectively evaluate their designs, we ensure children investigate and analyse a range of existing products and to judge against design criteria and target groups.

Our DT units have been informed by the DT Association and fully comply with the aims of the National Curriculum.  DT is taught in all year groups, through three exciting units each academic year, one per term. The subject is sometimes 'blocked' so that children can fully immerse themselves in the work at one time.  Where links are meaningful and learning is enhanced, teachers have planned cross-curricular links to other subject areas.  These units provide children with the opportunities to develop and apply their knowledge, skills and vocabulary in a breadth of contexts through the core DT strands of learning which are: Food, Mechanisms, Structures and Textiles.  Practical and technical knowledge is developed, year on year, through understanding and creating more complex structures, using mechanical and electrical systems within products, using textiles and understanding a healthy, balanced diet, cooking healthy dishes and the seasonal nature of food.   Food technology is learned across the school with children developing a thorough knowledge of where food comes from, the importance of a varied, balanced diet and how to prepare food using safe, hygienic processes.  Children deepen their understanding of these key elements as they progress through the school so that when they leave RMJS, they have a strong foundation of knowledge and skills to build on in secondary school and beyond. 

We enrich our DT provision with an annual Sci-Tech competition which enables children to design and create a product to meet certain criteria.  This enables children to apply the skills they have learnt in a new context, where they have complete creative control.  This also builds on children’s collaboration, teamwork, resilience and problem-solving skills, which are all vital in successful DT projects. 

Teachers use a range of strategies to support the inclusion of all children. Understanding the range of knowledge and skills that children have is crucial when designing and delivering opportunities for designing, making and evaluating.  Through careful structuring of learning, all children access the DT curriculum and achieve success through collaborative, teamwork and individual skill development.    

We aim for all children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform tasks confidently, to successfully participate in an increasingly technological world and to realise the impact of significant innovators and their creations on everyday life.   High quality DT across the school contributes to our children becoming budding engineers, innovators and informed consumers of the future.