At St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, we are passionate about equipping children with the knowledge, skills and creativity to think and work like designers and technologists. Our design and technology curriculum follows the CUSP Design and Technology Curriculum, beginning with the CUSP Early Foundations in EYFS, and progressing through carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich modules to ensure progression, creativity, problem-solving and innovation.

Intent

Our design and technology curriculum aims to:

• Foster a love of designing, making and evaluating by exploring a wide range of contexts, materials and challenges.

• Equip children with the ability to think critically and creatively to solve real-world problems.

• Develop an understanding of key design and technology disciplines such as mechanisms, structures, textiles, food and nutrition, electrical systems, and understanding materials.

• Build technical knowledge and skills through structured, progressive modules that revisit and deepen understanding over time.

• Promote oracy, vocabulary development and reflective thinking as integral aspects of design work.

Implementation

Early Foundations in EYFS: In EYFS, children build essential early knowledge, vocabulary, and skills through carefully planned opportunities and experiences. They explore materials, develop fine motor skills using tools, experience simple mechanisms, experiment with colour mixing, pattern, sculpture and evaluate their own creations. These foundations ensure they are ready for the progression into Key Stage 1 and beyond.

Knowledge-Rich Curriculum: The CUSP Design and Technology Curriculum offers a highly structured approach, covering multiple disciplines with clear progression from EYFS through to Year 6. Each year group revisits disciplines, ensuring that knowledge and skills are deepened over time.

Working as a Designer: Each module develops key competencies across design, make, evaluate, and apply. Children learn how to generate ideas, work with materials, evaluate outcomes, and apply their learning in meaningful contexts.

Engaging Units: Pupils explore a wide variety of exciting topics and projects, such as designing moving pictures, constructing stable structures, creating textiles products, cooking nutritious food, and understanding electrical systems. These projects are carefully chosen to provide both breadth and depth.

Critical Thinking and Oracy: Lessons include tasks that promote discussion, reflection and vocabulary development. Pupils learn to articulate their design thinking, use technical vocabulary accurately, and evaluate their work and that of others.

Resources and Support: Teachers are supported with skeleton lesson plans, detailed exemplification, high-quality visual resources, teacher videos, and vocabulary tasks. Materials lists are provided to ensure teachers are well-equipped to deliver each block successfully.

Supporting SEND Learners in Design and Technology

At St Catherine’s, we ensure that all children can access and enjoy design and technology. To achieve this, we:

• Scaffold activities to support SEND learners, breaking tasks into manageable steps while maintaining high expectations.

• Use visual prompts, practical demonstrations and individual task boards to support understanding.

• Adapt materials and tools where needed to support children with sensory sensitivities or fine motor challenges.

• Encourage participation through group work, peer support and accessible design tasks.

Impact

Confident Designers: By the time they leave St Catherine’s, pupils have developed strong design and problem-solving skills, confidently applying knowledge to real-world challenges.

High Standards: Pupils consistently demonstrate high-quality outcomes in their design work, reflecting the rigour of the curriculum.

Reflective Thinkers: Children are able to evaluate and refine their designs, make informed decisions, and use technical vocabulary accurately to explain their thinking.

Curriculum Content by Year Group

Resources and Enrichment

High-Quality Resources: Lessons are enriched with hands-on materials, practical demonstrations, technical vocabulary development, and CUSP’s Knowledge Notes.

Parental Engagement: Families are encouraged to support learning through design challenges at home, cooking activities, and exploring everyday design and engineering in the world around them.

At St Catherine’s, we are proud of our pupils’ creativity, problem-solving skills and enthusiasm for design and technology. For more information about our design and technology curriculum, or to arrange a visit, please contact the school office.