Highcliffe St Mark Primary School 

Design and Technology Vision Statement 

At Highcliffe St Mark Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum is ambitious, inclusive, and carefully sequenced to ensure all pupils develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to design and make high-quality products for a range of users. We aim to inspire pupils to become creative, resourceful, and resilient problem-solvers who can contribute positively to society and their future lives.

Pupils learn to use a wide range of tools, materials, and components safely and confidently, including textiles, mechanical systems, structures, and electrical circuits. Through purposeful design tasks, children research, design, make, evaluate, and refine their ideas, applying technical knowledge and vocabulary as they progress. Opportunities to plan, test, evaluate, and communicate ideas—including pitching final outcomes—are embedded throughout the curriculum.

Cooking and nutrition form an integral part of our provision, enabling pupils to understand healthy eating, food preparation, and where food comes from, while applying these skills in meaningful, real-life contexts. Sustainability, innovation, and responsible design are threaded through learning, encouraging pupils to consider the impact of their choices on the wider world.

From the early years, where children explore construction and problem-solving through play, to Year 6, where pupils design and evaluate increasingly complex and sustainable products, our curriculum builds confidence, independence, and resilience. Children take pride in the skills they acquire, enjoy the process of learning, and leave Highcliffe St Mark well prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.