Design & Technology (DT)
Design & Technology (DT) at Aston Rowant is an exciting, purposeful and highly practical subject where children learn to solve real problems, work creatively and develop technical skills for life. Our curriculum is rooted in our Christian vision and values - Gratitude, Resilience, Outreach, Wonder, Trust and Harmony - and prepares pupils to be thoughtful, innovative and responsible designers in an ever-changing world.
We use the Kapow Primary mixed-age programme, ensuring a carefully sequenced, ambitious curriculum where pupils build skills year on year. Alongside this, our children take part in Young Enterprise opportunities, giving them real-life experience of designing, making, marketing and selling products within meaningful contexts.
DT Curriculum Intent
At Aston Rowant, our intent is that all children:
- Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to design and make high-quality products.
- Learn how to research, plan, prototype, construct and evaluate purposeful solutions.
- Work confidently with structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food technology.
- Understand the impact of design on the wider world, including issues of sustainability, users’ needs, purpose, and function.
- Strengthen key learning behaviours - curiosity, resilience, independence and collaboration.
- Experience real-life applications of DT through opportunities such as Young Enterprise, linking their learning to enterprise, economics, responsibility and social good.
DT Curriculum Implementation
We follow the Kapow Primary Mixed-Age Curriculum, ensuring:
- A clear design–make–evaluate cycle across all units
- Strong progression in skills, knowledge and vocabulary
- Repeated, age-appropriate exposure to tool use, joining methods and materials
- Purposeful links to other subjects (maths, science, art, computing)
Across the school, children:
Design
- Explore existing products
- Gather user needs and design criteria
- Develop annotated sketches, diagrams and models
Make
- Use tools safely and with increasing accuracy
- Select materials based on purpose, function and properties
- Apply a range of techniques: cutting, shaping, joining, stitching, mixing, measuring
Evaluate
- Test and refine prototypes
- Compare final products to criteria
- Reflect on improvements and next steps
Young Enterprise & Real-World Application
Each year, children engage in enterprise activities such as:
- Designing and making products for markets or fundraising
- Managing budgets
- Understanding cost, profit and sustainability
- Working collaboratively to solve real problems
This brings DT to life and develops confidence, teamwork and financial awareness.
DT Curriculum Impact
By the time they leave Aston Rowant, children:
- Can design and make products with creativity, skill and purpose
- Understand how design affects daily life and the wider world
- Are resilient problem-solvers who can evaluate and refine their ideas
- Work confidently with a variety of tools, materials and construction methods
- Demonstrate teamwork, communication and independence
- Show curiosity and appreciation for the designed world
- Have experienced enterprise, innovation and real-life application of DT concepts
Our pupils are well-prepared for KS3 and beyond, equipped with transferable skills and a mindset that embraces creativity, challenge and purposeful design.
How DT Reflects Our School Values
- Gratitude: Appreciating creativity, craft and the work behind everyday products.
- Resilience: Learning through trial, error and improvement.
- Outreach: Designing with users and communities in mind; considering sustainability.
- Wonder: Exploring how things work and turning ideas into real objects.
- Trust: Growing in confidence to try, build, test and refine.
- Harmony: Working collaboratively, sharing ideas and respecting others’ contributions.
