Welcome to DT at Green Lane Primary Academy
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs
At Green Lane Primary Academy, we believe that every child is an innovator. Our vision is to deliver Design and Technology lessons that give pupils the skills, knowledge, and confidence to design, make, and evaluate products that solve real problems. Through practical and creative experiences, children combine imagination with technical know-how, becoming resourceful, resilient, and reflective learners.
Why We Love Design & Technology
From the very beginning of their design and technology journey in EYFS, children explore through play, curiosity, and hands-on experiences. As they move on through school, these skills are developed and refined through structured, practical projects. By Year 6, pupils can confidently design, make, and evaluate products with purpose, applying technical knowledge of structures, mechanisms, electronics, and food technology. Our aim is for children to leave Green Lane as creative problem-solvers with the independence and resilience to take their ideas from concept to reality.
What Learning Looks Like
Our Design and Technology curriculum is carefully planned to build knowledge and skills year by year: Our children study the work of real people—designers, engineers, and makers—so they can be inspired by authentic examples and understand how design solves real-world problems.
Laying the Foundations – EYFS:
Children begin their design journey through play and exploration. They experiment with construction, tools, and materials, learning how things fit together and work. They are encouraged to talk about their creations, building early oracy and problem-solving skills.
Moving On – KS1 & KS2:
We follow the Kapow Primary D&T scheme, which ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum. Pupils develop skills in designing, making, and evaluating across a range of contexts—from food and textiles to structures, mechanisms, and digital design. Lessons are practical, creative, and carefully sequenced to build knowledge and technical skills year on year.
Evaluation and Reflection:
Throughout their D&T journey, children are encouraged to reflect on their work and the work of others. They learn to celebrate success, consider improvements, and build the resilience and independence needed to see ideas through from concept to finished product.
Our lessons are practical, engaging, and accessible for all. We make sure every child, regardless of background or ability, can take part fully by providing access to a wide range of tools, materials, and equipment in school. Additional support and scaffolding are provided where needed, including adult guidance, adapted resources, or peer support, ensuring that every pupil can develop their skills and confidence.
Talking, Exploring and Doing
Design and Technology at Green Lane is about creativity in action. Children share ideas through talk, drawings, prototypes, and models. They explore real-world problems and find practical solutions. We encourage our children to work together to design, make, and test their products. Reflection is an integral part of our children’s journeys, helping them evaluate their own work, consider improvements, and celebrate successes.
What Makes Us Special
What makes Design and Technology at Green Lane special is our commitment to inclusion, creativity, and real-world relevance. We actively promote D&T as a subject for all, encouraging children of all backgrounds to see themselves as future designers, engineers, and makers. Through projects that link to everyday life – such as designing and making products, exploring mechanisms, and considering sustainability – children understand the purpose and excitement behind what they are learning.
We celebrate children’s achievements through the display of their work, highlighting creativity, effort, and innovation.
D&T is also embedded across the wider curriculum. Pupils use skills such as measuring, planning, and evaluating in subjects like maths, science, and art, showing them that D&T is not just a subject in its own right, but a skillset that supports their learning across the curriculum.
How We Know Children Are Succeeding
Progress in D&T is measured through practical outcomes, discussion, and reflection. Teachers track skill development, knowledge, creativity, and confidence, ensuring children steadily build on prior learning. By the time they leave Green Lane, pupils will:
- Have practical skills across a range of materials and tools
- Understand design processes and technical principles
- Be able to evaluate their own work thoughtfully
- Have the skills to design, make, and evaluate effectively, along with the confidence to apply their creativity to real-world challenges.
- Have the skills to design, make, and evaluate effectively, along with the confidence to apply their creativity to real-world challenges.
Key Documents
Ideas For Design & Technology At Home
| Website | Description |
| BBC Good Food – Kids’ Recipes | Cook together and talk about healthy choices. |
| LEGO | Explore structures by building with Lego. |
| IET Engineering at Home | Create a simple moving model using wheels or levers. |
| Tinkercad | Use digital tools to design. |
| Science Channel – YouTube | Watch the ‘How It’s Made’ playlist and discuss design ideas. |
