Design and Technology (D&T) is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject at Livingstone Primary and Nursery School. We enable pupils to use creativity and imagination to design and make purposeful products that solve real and relevant problems. Pupils design for real users, considering needs, wants and values, developing as thoughtful designers and innovative problem-solvers.

Our aims for pupils:

• Develop creative, technical and practical expertise
• Apply a secure, progressive repertoire of designing and making skills
• Understand and use the iterative process: research, design, make, evaluate
• Critically evaluate existing products and their own work to improve outcomes
• Apply knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating

Aligned with the National Curriculum, our Design and Technology (D&T) curriculum is carefully sequenced from EYFS to Year 6 using a progressive spiral and cumulative framework. This ensures that key knowledge, understanding, and technical skills are systematically revisited and deepened over time. To ensure this learning sticks, we embed deliberate, ongoing retrieval practice into our teaching, helping children reactivate prior learning and convert it into long-term retention. This robust foundation builds pupils' confidence in practical and technical contexts, empowering them to successfully design, make, and evaluate high-quality, purposeful products for real-world users.

Coverage includes:

• Mechanisms
• Structures
• Textiles
• Food and nutrition
• Electrical systems (KS2)

Each unit follows a consistent structure:

• Research – exploring products and user needs
• Design – developing ideas using sketches, criteria and technical vocabulary
• Make – selecting and using tools, materials and techniques safely
• Evaluate – testing, refining and improving against design criteria

A strong emphasis is placed on technical knowledge and vocabulary, which is explicitly taught and revisited throughout units. A key example of applied learning is in Year 6, where pupils design and create an automatic night light for Reception children. Pupils interview their users to identify needs, develop and refine designs accordingly, and present completed products to Reception pupils, evaluating their effectiveness in a real-world context.

All pupils access the full D&T curriculum through adaptive teaching and carefully planned scaffolding. Our “chilli challenge” approach ensures appropriate support and challenge so that pupils work towards the same learning outcomes.

Support includes:

• flexible ways of recording ideas
• visual and step-by-step instructions
• adapted tools and materials
• additional time and adult support
• opportunities for independence alongside guidance

This enables all pupils, including those with SEND, to engage fully in the design process while developing increasing independence and confidence.

Knowledge organisers support pupils in securing key vocabulary and knowledge within each unit and are used throughout teaching to support recall and application.

Assessment is ongoing and formative, focusing on the following:

• Understanding and application of the design process
• Use of technical knowledge and vocabulary
• Quality of making
• Ability to evaluate and improve products

As a result of our D&T curriculum, pupils can apply the design process confidently and independently; design and make for real users and purposes; use technical vocabulary accurately; show creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills and build and apply knowledge progressively across year groups. Pupils leave Livingstone as capable, reflective designers who understand how their work connects to the real world and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Curriculum Overview