Our beliefs

At Studley Green Primary School, we believe that Design and Technology plays a vital role in preparing pupils to engage with a rapidly changing world. Through purposeful design and practical problem‑solving, pupils learn how ideas are developed, refined and applied to meet real needs.

We believe that high‑quality Design and Technology teaching should enable pupils to think creatively and practically, combining knowledge, skills and understanding to design and make products that are functional, purposeful and well‑considered. Pupils should learn to approach challenges methodically, test ideas, evaluate outcomes and improve their work.

Design and Technology supports pupils to develop resilience, independence and confidence, as well as an understanding of how design, engineering and technology impact everyday life. Through this subject, pupils learn that success comes from thoughtful planning, careful making and honest evaluation.

Our design & technology curriculum

At Studley Green, our Design and Technology curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and carefully sequenced, ensuring that all pupils develop secure knowledge and skills as designers and technologists.

We teach Design and Technology using the CUSP Design and Technology curriculum, which is organised into blocks covering a range of key disciplines, including:

• Food and nutrition
• Mechanisms
• Structures
• Systems
• Electrical systems
• Understanding materials and textiles

The curriculum is designed with deliberate vertical progression, so that pupils revisit each discipline multiple times across their primary journey, developing increasing levels of skill, precision and understanding. Learning builds cumulatively, with each block explicitly drawing on prior knowledge.

Across all units, pupils develop competence in the four key aspects of working as a designer:

• Design – generating ideas and planning purposeful outcomes
• Make – selecting tools, techniques and materials to create products
• Evaluate – testing, reviewing and improving designs
• Apply – using knowledge and skills in different contexts

Technical vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited, enabling pupils to talk confidently about processes, materials and decisions. Oracy is central to the subject, with pupils encouraged to explain their thinking, justify choices and reflect on outcomes.

Assessment in Design and Technology focuses on pupils’ understanding of process, technique and decision‑making, rather than simply the final product. Teaching is adapted where needed to ensure all pupils can access the same ambitious curriculum safely and successfully.

Through our Design and Technology curriculum, we aim for pupils to leave Studley Green as capable, thoughtful and resilient designers, equipped with practical skills and problem‑solving approaches that will support them in future learning and everyday life.