“Thinking about design is hard, but not thinking about it can be disastrous.” - Ralph Caplan

At Cotmanhay Junior School, our pupils will develop a growing awareness of how products and systems are designed and manufactured, how to be innovative, and how to make creative use of a variety of resources including traditional and digital technologies, with a view to improve the world around them. Through our teaching, we show how design and technology plays a key role in our daily lives and enables humans to be resourceful and enterprising citizens.

Pupils learn across the three disciplines of 'build', 'sew' and 'cook' to become accomplished at each stage of the design process: designing, making and evaluating. They acquire and apply technical knowledge and vocabulary relating to structures, mechanisms, textiles and food whilst considering the appearance, effectiveness, safety and accuracy of their work at every stage.

We teach three specific design and technology units per year at Cotmanhay Junior School and make links where relevant to other curriculum subjects. Lessons take place in our studio classroom with increased natural light and the full range of equipment needed. This gives the subject a professional feel that pupils really enjoy. During the summer term, we celebrate the outcomes of the cooking units with a summer global picnic.