Design and technology
case studies

Cocktails and canapés
Pupils in Year 10 design food for a charity event.

A ‘Home for Life’
Inspired by the work of designer Roger Dean, Year 10 pupils combine skills developed in design and technology, science and mathematics to design a room interior.

Children's sunsuits
Children's sunsuits are designed by Year 10 textile pupils and the prototypes sold in a local shop.

 
More . . .

‘Design and technology prepares pupils to participate in tomorrow's rapidly changing technologies. They learn to think and intervene creatively to improve quality of life. The subject calls for pupils to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, as individuals and members of teams.’

The importance of design and technology – National Curriculum for England

Design and technology

Design and technology can help promote enterprise and entrepreneurial skills through identifying an opportunity to design something to meet a specific need, making and marketing the product, and evaluating the whole process. Pupils can find out about manufacturing and explore the work of professional designers both now and in the past.

Characteristics of enterprise are discussed further in About enterprise.

Learning through enterprise – contributes to improving motivation and raising achievement by helping pupils make connections between what they learn in the classroom with the world outside. It provides opportunities for pupils to gain knowledge, skills and understanding through: product analysis focused practical tasks that develop a range of techniques, skills, processes and knowledge design and make assignments in different contexts activities related to industrial practices Learning about enterprise – helps pupils develop an understanding of enterprise in business and the wider community. It provides opportunities for pupils to: explore the role of entrepreneurs as innovators in design and technology identify self-employment as a type and classification of economic activity recognise the process of identifying opportunity, designing to meet a need, manufacture and evaluation Learning for enterprise – provides an opportunity for pupils to develop and practise entrepreneurial skills. It provides opportunities for pupils to: recognise the wider relevance of skills, developed through the study of design and technology develop creativity and practise a number of key skills and entrepreneurial skills including problem solving and working with others use ICT to gather information, develop and produce proposals and evaluate processes ensure that their products are of a suitable quality for intended users

Guidance on how to incorporate enterprise approaches into your teaching can be found in Good practice in enterprise education.

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