At St Ives, STEM and Design Technology play a vital role in developing pupils’ creativity, problem‑solving abilities and confidence as young innovators. In Pre‑Prep, children begin their DT journey through hands‑on projects embedded within their termly topics and art lessons, nurturing early making, designing and experimenting skills.
From Years 3–6, pupils enjoy a dedicated weekly STEM/DT lesson, delivered through engaging, termly or half‑termly projects. These projects enable pupils to:
· Develop creative, technical and practical expertise
· Design and make high‑quality prototypes and products
· Evaluate, test and refine their ideas
At St Ives, pupils engage in a rich blend of traditional craft, digital technologies and real‑world engineering challenges, from textiles, structures and mechanisms to food technology, coding and collaborative STEM investigations. At St Ives, pupils engage in a rich blend of traditional craft, digital technologies and real‑world engineering challenges, from textiles, structures and mechanisms to food technology, coding and collaborative STEM investigations. Recent projects have included making Christmas party hats, building cam toys, and exploring the world of medical engineering by designing and constructing a prosthetic arm.
Throughout every project, children also build key personal skills linked to the PSB model, including independence, collaboration, leadership, communication, critical thinking, and reviewing and improving. These skills are intentionally woven through the curriculum, ensuring pupils flourish both in the classroom and beyond.
This varied and inspiring STEM/DT provision nurtures curiosity, resilience and creativity, preparing all pupils at St Ives to thrive in an ever‑changing technological world.