Click here for the Design Technology Curriculum Overview

Click here for the Design Technology Skills Progression Overview

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Steve Jobs

At St Matthias, our design and technology curriculum develops pupils’ creativity, problem-solving and practical skills, enabling them to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems. Pupils are encouraged to see themselves as creative and capable designers, inspired by a diverse range of makers and innovators.

Learning is carefully structured so that pupils build their knowledge and skills over time. They explore a range of designers, makers and chefs, understanding how design is influenced by cultural, historical and technological contexts. This helps pupils make meaningful connections and see the relevance of design in everyday life.

Pupils develop their skills through designing, making and evaluating, working with a range of materials and techniques across areas such as graphic design, construction and food technology. They learn to generate ideas, develop prototypes and refine their work, applying their knowledge in practical and purposeful ways.

Sketchbooks are used to support the design process. They provide a space for pupils to explore ideas, experiment with materials and record their thinking. Pupils use sketchbooks to evaluate and refine their designs, supporting their development as independent learners.

Skills and knowledge are built progressively and revisited over time, enabling pupils to track their development and apply their learning with increasing confidence.

Through this approach, pupils develop creativity, resilience and the ability to think critically about design, preparing them for further learning and the wider world.

As a result, pupils leave St Matthias as confident and resourceful designers who can think creatively, solve problems and apply practical skills in a range of real-life contexts.