DT Intent 

At Herne CE Junior School, we believe that creativity and imagination are both vital in a child’s education. Our Design Technology units provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum, which prepares them for life beyond primary education; the curriculum enables pupils to use their creativity and imagination with combined skills, knowledge and concepts to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. This is built on yearly. The lessons taught across the school are designed to develop skills and to draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of how aspects of DT have an impact on daily life both now and throughout history. It improves pupils' analysis, practical capability and evaluation skills, not only of their own products/designs but also of the designs of others. 

DT Implementation 

The content of the DT curriculum in Key Stage 2 builds on what children have learned in Key Stage 1. Children advance and improve their skills in developing the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently; build and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding in order to design and make high quality products; critique and evaluate products and understand and apply the principles of nutrition.  

Our children are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers by building on their skills through taught sequences. We believe in a plan, do, and review structure to DT where children will use research and inspiration to plan their final products, often learning techniques, before creating. After they have produced their piece, they will have the chance to review and assess what they have done focusing on what they like, what went well and evaluating what they could change next time. 

DT Impact 

Through following a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum, teaching and learning shows progression across the school within the units of DT. Our children retain knowledge and skills taught within each unit of work; they remember these and understand how to use and apply these in their own DT projects and designs, whilst beginning to understand what being a ‘designer’ means. 

After the implementation of Herne CE Junior DT curriculum, pupils will leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society. 

The impact of following the Herne CE Junior curriculum is that 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 creating products;

• build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, and products to fulfil the needs of users; 

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

• 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 DT. 

We believe every child has the potential to create something unique and inspired… we aim to give children the skills to know how to do so.