Higher Lane Primary School

Design & Technology

At Higher Lane Primary School, Design & Technology (DT) is an engaging, hands-on subject that inspires creativity, problem-solving and curiosity. Through our Grammarsaurus 3D DT Curriculum, pupils from Years 1 to 6 explore three core areas each year — Textiles, Cooking & Nutrition, and Construction — developing practical skills and design thinking that prepare them for life beyond the classroom.

Intent
Our DT curriculum is designed to inspire children to think creatively and work practically. We want pupils to become confident designers and makers who can turn ideas into reality.

By the time they leave Higher Lane, our pupils will:

• Understand the complete design process — researching, planning, making and evaluating.
• Use tools, materials and equipment safely and effectively.
• Apply knowledge from science, maths, art and computing to solve design challenges.
• Evaluate products thoughtfully, refining their ideas and learning from others.
• Appreciate how design and technology shape the world around them.

Implementation

Using the Grammarsaurus scheme, each class focuses on one of the three DT strands — Textiles, Cooking & Nutrition, or Construction — each term. This ensures children build their knowledge and skills sequentially and progressively as they move up the school.

• In Textiles, children learn to select materials, use joining and decorating techniques, and refine fine motor and design skills.
• In Cooking & Nutrition, they explore healthy eating, food preparation and safe hygiene practices.
• In Construction, they design, build and evaluate using tools and materials, solving real-world problems.

Across all these areas, children are encouraged to be creative, independent and resilient, linking their DT learning with wider curriculum themes. For example, in Year 3, pupils connect their DT work on Stone Age Mysteries to their history topic, designing and sewing functional pouches inspired by early tools and artefacts.

Projects are engaging, practical and purposeful. Examples of what our children will cover include:

• In Year 1, pupils become inventors in the Toy Makers’ Workshop, creating toys from recycled materials.
• In Year 2, they design and make Buzzing Bookmarks, exploring decorative techniques and materials.
• In Year 3, they apply sewing and design skills in Stone Age Mysteries.
• By Year 5, pupils showcase advanced stitching and creative design in Moonlit Magic, producing atmospheric textile pieces.

Throughout, pupils follow the process of research → design → make → evaluate, learning technical vocabulary and developing confidence to adapt and improve their work.

Impact

DT at Higher Lane develops children who are independent, creative and capable problem-solvers. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can:

• Design, make and evaluate purposeful, high-quality products.
• Work safely and skilfully with a range of materials and tools.
• Apply knowledge from other subjects to practical challenges.
• Reflect confidently on their own designs and outcomes.

Impact is monitored through pupil voice, teacher assessment, and photographic evidence of final products and learning journeys.

At Higher Lane Primary School, Design & Technology gives every child the chance to create, innovate and succeed — developing the imagination, skill and confidence to design a better world.