"But of course, if you look deeper, it’s really how it works.”
Steve Jobs

“Technology makes possibilities. Design makes solutions.”
John Maeda

To develop our pupils to be attentive to the needs of people in order to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Promoting the practice of attentive reflection and discerning decision-making, basing choices and adaptations on their reflections.

At St. Mary’s, we prepare pupils to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. It encourages our pupils to become independent, creative problem-solvers and thinkers, as individuals and as part of a team - making positive changes to their quality of life. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its impacts.

Our desired end-point is that Design and Technology lessons have helped our pupils to become astute and informed future consumers and potential innovators.

• St. Mary’s uses the scheme KAPOW https://www.kapowprimary.com/subjects/design-technology/ 
• DT Schema-The following units can be taught in any order over each school year however, teachers must consider the skills and knowledge required before choosing where to place the unit. For example some units require the knowledge of shape and skills of measure so this would naturally fit better after the maths unit has been taught; some food units would be better taught after some science units (healthy eating) to allow children to put this into context which in turn means lessons are focussed on the DT objectives. Subject leaders have also collaborated to ensure the whole school DT, Maths and Science units allow for Automaticity.
• The condensed plans cover all the National Curriculum objectives, however further units are available for some year groups if there are no time restraints or if analysis of each year groups attainment means an area needs revisiting.
• Each unit has a list of vocabulary. The teacher must ensure that any previous year vocabulary is understood and make any connections to this previous learning to the new learning.

• The ability to communicate fluently in visual and tactile form.
• The ability to explore and invent marks, develop and deconstruct ideas and communicate perceptively and powerfully through purposeful drawing in 2D, 3D or digital media.
• An impressive knowledge and understanding of other artists, craft makers and designers.
• The ability to think and act like creative practitioners by using their knowledge and understanding to inform, inspire and interpret ideas, observations and feelings.
• Independence, initiative and originality which they can use to develop their creativity.
• The ability to select and use materials, processes and techniques skilfully and inventively to realise intentions and capitalise on the unexpected.
• The ability to reflect on, analyse and critically evaluate their own work and that of others.
• A passion for and a commitment to the subject.