Design & Technology

Design & Technology

At Selling Church of England Primary, our Design & Technology (D&T) curriculum is shaped by The Selling Way of Life—celebrating creativity, curiosity, and collaboration while fostering a sense of belonging, resilience, and purpose. We see D&T as a vital, hands-on subject where children learn to think critically, work practically, and apply problem-solving skills in real and meaningful contexts.

Our teaching of D&T is underpinned by the Kapow Primary scheme, which is now in its third year of use at Selling and has become a familiar, well-liked tool for both staff and children. The scheme supports high-quality, consistent delivery across all year groups, with built-in teacher training, how-to videos, adaptable lesson resources, and strong progression. It enables pupils to learn in a structured yet engaging way, while also empowering staff to deliver confidently and creatively. The Kapow scheme also aligns closely with the statutory National Curriculum for Design and Technology (DfE, 2013), ensuring that children develop skills in designing, making, evaluating, and applying technical knowledge. Units cover structures, mechanisms, food, textiles, and electrical systems, as appropriate to each phase.

Long-Term Plans have been carefully mapped in light of our revised class structures, and each pupil has a dedicated book with D&T work recorded from the back, clearly separated from Art. Teachers direct children to highlight the Knowledge Organisers (KOs) for each lesson, supporting clear identification of key learning and fostering metacognition. Pupils revisit key skills and vocabulary regularly, enabling them to make links between prior and current learning.

Just as Art is showcased beyond the classroom, D&T is also rooted in real-world relevance and purpose, with outcomes that are meaningful and functional. The school actively seeks to embed D&T within wider curriculum themes, where appropriate, and to celebrate children’s design achievements through displays and local events.

Here at Selling, D&T embodies our Christian values of perseverance, compassion, and Umunthu—encouraging collaborative work, respect for others’ ideas, and pride in purposeful creation. Children learn that mistakes are part of the design process, developing resilience and an iterative mindset.

Subject priorities for the coming year include:

Ensuring adaptations meet all learners’ needs
Tracking prior knowledge to support progression
Embedding vocabulary and technical language
Increasing pupil confidence in talking about their learning journey

Ultimately, our D&T curriculum aims to equip children with the confidence, creativity, and critical-thinking skills to shape their world—be it through food, textiles, mechanisms, or imaginative invention—while feeling valued and inspired within our nurturing school community.

Year 2 Mixed skills - Forest School (Term 1)

Blossom class has begun learning to tie a reef knot and practiced their whittling skills using peelers. They also made nature crowns and cut discs with a bow saw to decorate them later. Well done being safe!

Year 3 & 4 Cooking - Eating seasonally (April 2024)

Last week, Beech class had the exciting opportunity to take part in a unique cooking experience at Pizza Express, Ashford. They learned very fun and insightful facts about each ingredient, adding to their existing knowledge of "Where our food comes from". They made their own Margherita pizzas and learnt all the rules of hygiene and safety of a kitchen. But the best part... was gobbling up our pizzas back at school! What a blast!

Year 1 & 2 Structures - Constructing a castle (June 2024)

Blossom class took their learning outside! They went into the shade to build and paint their own castles. They cut out battlements, windows and drawbridges and then painted them.

Year 6 Textiles - Sewing tote bags (June 2024)

The Mighty Oaks have made creative tote bags using their sewing skills. They tacked and stitched the handles, they sewn in their designs and they used their safety skills and concentration when using needles and the sewing machine, as you can see here! Good job year 6! Well done!