Curriculum Intent
The Design & Technology curriculum at BRS aims to empower students to become creative, confident and capable problem-solvers who can respond to real-world challenges through designing, making and evaluating. Through Food, Product Design and Textiles, students develop practical skills, technical knowledge and an understanding of how the subject equips them for everyday life, industry and society. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to build knowledge over time, with regular opportunities for retrieval practice to strengthen long-term memory and support progression.
Our curriculum aims to:
- Develop students’ creativity, curiosity and resilience through an iterative design process that encourages innovation, risk-taking and reflection.
- Equip students with practical and technical skills in food preparation, product design and manufacture and textile construction, enabling them to work safely and independently.
- Foster an understanding of materials, ingredients, tools, equipment and manufacturing processes, and how these are used to meet specific design needs.
- Explicitly teach and revisit key subject-specific language and vocabulary, enabling students to communicate technical concepts accurately and confidently.
- Strengthen numeracy through measuring, scaling, calculating quantities, interpreting data, costing and applying mathematical principles in practical contexts.
- Encourage students to solve problems and design products that respond to the needs of users, considering functionality, aesthetics, sustainability and commercial viability.
- Promote healthy lifestyles and informed food choices by developing knowledge of nutrition, food science, food provenance and safe food preparation.
- Explore the impact of design and technology on individuals, communities and the wider world, including ethical, environmental and cultural considerations.
- Build confidence in communication, collaboration and evaluation, enabling students to articulate ideas, justify decisions and learn from feedback.
- Inspire students to recognise and pursue future opportunities in design, engineering, manufacturing, fashion, food industries and other creative and technical careers.
- Incorporate the values of Catholic Social Teaching
Through a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum, students leave Design & Technology with the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate successfully in an increasingly technological and rapidly changing world.
Students and Parents/Carers:
To find out how our curriculum is planned and sequenced, click on our subject learning journeys below.
Learning journeys to come
