Help pupils become confident designers with Oak’s adaptable D&T curriculum

Design and technology is a powerful way for pupils to understand the world around them. When they design, make and critique, they’re not just creating products – they’re building problem-solving skills, developing critical thinking and learning how design shapes society.

Oak’s new free, adaptable D&T curriculum and lesson resources, developed with subject experts at the Design and Technology Association, give you a strong starting point for high-quality teaching. They’re flexible enough to make your own, no matter whether you’re refreshing your approach, creating new units, need some inspiration or solving a last-minute planning challenge.

Explore the new curriculum:

Key stages 1-2 design and technology curriculum plan
Key stages 3-4 design and technology curriculum plan

Adaptable resources that save time and strengthen teaching

Every unit and lesson is structured to help you prepare classroom teaching that’s clear, coherent and connected. The curriculum sequences bring together aligned threads – including materials, systems, sustainability and user-centred design – supporting confident progression from years 1-11.

Because everything is editable, you can tailor the content to your pupils’ needs. You might borrow a handful of slides, adapt a worksheet, or use an entire unit as the foundation for your own planning. However you choose to use them, the resources are designed to save you hours each week while keeping quality high.

Knowledge that sticks and builds over time

Pupils revisit and build on core ideas in carefully sequenced lessons. Concepts aren’t taught once and forgotten; they reappear in new contexts, helping learning stick. This helps pupils move from early exploration to more sophisticated, iterative design decisions as they progress through the key stages.

To allow pupils to develop a broad capability in design and technology, units are structured to focus on the interrelated areas of designing, making and evaluating - some units will focus on designing (such as this year 10 unit on product analysis around encouraging healthy lifestyles) allowing pupils to develop their creativity without needing to realise their ideas.

Exploring how design shapes our world

Units include a diverse mix of designers, products and practices. In primary, pupils meet figures such as Virgil Abloh, Yinka Ilori, Ada Lovelace, Vivienne Westwood and Ole Kirk Kristiansen. In secondary, unfamiliar products like Kibu headphones, The Washing Machine Project, the Hippo Roller and Style Her Empowered school uniforms broaden pupils’ horizons. Through these examples and their own design work, pupils learn to evaluate how design influences social, moral and ethical issues.

Bringing design to life through digital tools

Digital design and modelling are woven throughout the curriculum. These tools offer a simple, accessible way for pupils to explore ideas and test solutions. Tinkercad is used to create 3D models by combining basic shapes, design and simulating electrical circuits and code systems with code blocks. Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) examples show processes and movement, helping pupils grasp key concepts quickly. High-quality illustrations also show product and user journeys, making complex ideas easier to understand.

Build confidence through working in unfamiliar contexts

We want pupils to feel confident applying their design thinking in new and unfamiliar contexts. Pupils explore a wide range of design opportunities that help them make informed decisions and refine their ideas through iterative design principles. These contexts grow in complexity over time – from introducing accessibility through fashion design in primary, to supporting new parents using new materials in key stage 3, and exploring inclusive design with a focus on mental health and wellbeing at key stage 4. This progression helps pupils build the confidence they need to design with purpose and empathy.

A practical starting point for teaching primary D&T

Teaching D&T in primary can feel daunting, especially if it’s not your specialist subject. These resources have been developed using the Design and Technology Association's ‘Projects on a Page’ as a foundation for planning – so they will support you no matter your level of D&T expertise.

Units are simple to navigate, and each one includes the key knowledge your pupils need, as well as material knowledge that helps them understand why choices matter. Lessons encourage pupils to design with purpose, explore familiar and unfamiliar contexts, and take creative risks.

Deepening knowledge through secondary

At secondary, consistency and progression are vital. Oak’s D&T sequences help you feel confident that pupils are meeting the national curriculum while building secure, connected knowledge year after year. Threads such as sustainability and systems thinking run across the curriculum, so pupils move through key stage 3 with increasing independence before facing the more complex design challenges of key stage 4.

At key stage 4, everything is exam board-agnostic, so you can adapt units to suit your GCSE needs. Year 10 includes a wide range of authentic contexts that cover all aspects of the specifications, while year 11 offers core knowledge, technical principles, and design and making principles units to draw from. The iterative design principles unit also supports the non-examined assessment, helping pupils refine, test and improve their ideas with confidence.

Building critical, confident young designers

Across all key stages, the curriculum encourages pupils to critique the products they encounter every day. They learn to ask why things are designed the way they are – and how designers’ decisions affect people, society and the environment.

By working through iterative design processes, they deepen their understanding of materials, systems and users. They experiment, refine ideas, and learn to make informed design decisions.

Cooking and nutrition alongside design and technology

Oak’s design and technology, and cooking and nutrition curricula have been presented separately to help teachers find cooking and nutrition content quickly and easily, while also signposting its importance as a body of knowledge. Each subject area has been carefully sequenced to be taught independently or together. Find out more about our cooking and nutrition curriculum and resources.

Aligned with Curriculum and Assessment Review priorities

You will have seen the government's response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review recommendations to revise the national curriculum and update GCSEs and will be thinking ahead. You can be assured that with the Oak curriculum for design and technology, we already have a strong focus on lots of the areas detailed in the response. For example, sustainability is included within units through the consideration of materials, energy use and manufacturing processes. Sustainability-specific units introduce and build on pupils' knowledge of the impact design and technology has on the world, supporting the future as the UK shifts towards a circular economy - seen in the year 9 unit on the circular economy and the year 10 unit about the circular economy in developing countries.

Oak will be working with expert partners to update our resources and provide guidance for what’s changing so you can stay ahead of the changes and plan with confidence. Sign up to get the latest updates.

A solid foundation you can make your own

Every Oak lesson is fully adaptable. You know your pupils best, so the resources give you a strong starting point to build from – helping you bring learning to life in your classroom. With quizzes, worksheets, slides and clear teacher guidance, you can choose what works for your pupils and for your teaching.

Use this form if you’re interested to find out more about using our design and technology curriculum, or have questions about how it could work in your school or trust, and we'll be in touch.