Design Technology


Design Technology is where we learn to be inventors and innovators. It equips us with the sklls needed to solve problems and to adapt quickly to the challenges that confront us in a rapidly changing world. It also provides a huge range of opportunities to develop our learning powers, particularly curiosity, co-operation and perseverance. To find out more about what we teach and how learnng fits together, take a look at our skills and knowledge progression:  

The aim of our DT curriculum

At Bedwell, we want our children to become confident, independent problem solvers, who view challenges with curiosity and a ’what about trying…’ mindset - both at school and in their wider life beyond. 

When presented with practical problems, our children will be able to combine their skills and prior knowledge to come up with a range of possible solutions, and then use their experience and understanding to focus in on what they consider to be the best design choice. They will have the practical and technical skills needed to put that idea into practice - and the wherewithal to overcome whatever barriers may present themselves on the way to a completed solution to their initial problem. 

To that end, children in every class will be given opportunities to explore new materials, tools, mechanisms and designs, and will be encouraged to explore all of these to find both their potential and their limitations. Each unit of work will have a clear, practical goal as its outcome, accompanied by design criteria against which finished products can be tested and evaluated. Our children will also learn how to use these materials and tools safely and responsibly, and over time will begin to consider the impact that products (and material choices) can have on the wider world.

"Subject leaders have thought carefully about how pupils build their knowledge and skills over time from early years to Year 6. They have developed highly consistent planning and methods of delivery that help pupils learn well over time."

Ofsted report, 2022

Experiences we want every child to have at Bedwell:
  • Produce something of their own that makes them go, “Wow!” 
  • Have opportunities to use things they have made - recognising that their work really is purposeful and practical 
  • Take things to bits to find out how they’re held together and how they work 
  • See something they have constructed move under its own power 
  • Use saws, hammers, hand drills and other ‘grown-up’ tools (and know how to use them safely) 
  • Build something bigger than them
This term's learning

Year 3 and 4Rabbit class started the term with a DT project that saw them learning about levers and linkages, which they then combined to build some fantastic moving puppets.

Year 6Falcon class have been investigating and building alarms that react to changes in the environment. They used tilt switches and light sensors to add alarms to treasure chests, safes and secret books, and enjoyed testing them out on their friends!