Design Technology
At Northwood Park Primary, our Design Technology curriculum is rooted in our core values:
At Northwood Park Primary, our Design and Technology curriculum reflects our core values: Be Kind, Be Brave, Be Proud. We provide an ambitious, creative and inclusive curriculum that inspires all pupils to become imaginative designers, resilient problem-solvers and confident makers. Children are encouraged to take risks, work collaboratively and take pride in creating purposeful products for real audiences and users.
Design Technology at Northwood Park
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that pupils progressively develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary needed to design, make and evaluate with increasing independence. Foundational knowledge and practical skills are introduced in the Early Years and then built upon throughout each year group, enabling children to revisit prior learning and apply it with increasing confidence and precision. Across school, pupils explore key areas such as structures, mechanisms, textiles, food and nutrition, electrical systems and digital design. They learn how products are created for a purpose and how ideas can be improved through investigation, testing and refinement.
A key strength of our curriculum is our Golden Thread of reading, which runs throughout Design and Technology. Every project is linked to a high-quality class text, allowing pupils to draw inspiration from characters, themes, settings and events. These meaningful links deepen engagement, strengthen vocabulary and provide purposeful contexts for learning.
Throughout the school, pupils complete exciting projects linked to their reading. In Year 1, children design and build space rockets inspired by Rocket Boy. In Year 2, pupils make healthy yoghurt pots linked to Demon Dentist. In Year 3, children create buoyant rescue boats after reading Kaspar Prince of Cats. In Year 4, pupils sculpt clay bronze statues inspired by The Firework Maker’s Daughter. In Year 5, children design gift boxes for Eid linked to Planet Omar. In Year 6, pupils research and make Viking shields inspired by Erik the Viking.
EYFS
Children begin through play-based exploration, construction, junk modelling and simple food preparation. They develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness and early problem-solving through hands-on experiences, often inspired by stories and class texts.
Key Stage 1
Pupils build core skills in cutting, joining, shaping and assembling materials. They begin generating ideas, following simple plans and evaluating products against basic criteria.
Key Stage 2
Children deepen their technical understanding and work with greater precision and independence. They research users, create annotated plans, measure accurately, select suitable materials and refine products through testing.
Through Design and Technology, pupils learn that successful design is a process of adapting ideas, solving problems and learning from mistakes. They leave Northwood Park Primary as creative, capable and reflective learners with the confidence to create purposeful products and the literacy-rich knowledge gained through our Golden Thread of reading, enabling them to truly Be Kind, Be Brave and Be Proud.
