ABSTRACT
The non-statutory guidance for Design and Technology capability states that the reference to capability is intended to emphasize the fact that the subject is concerned with practical action, drawing on knowledge and understanding from a wide range of curricular areas. At the heart of Design and Technology lies a 'process' of designing and making. Pupils setting out to design anything should be trying to meet a 'need' that they have identified. If Technology is a response to the environment or situation, through design, then it must include an element of problem solving. Technology in the National Curriculum, as described in the statutory order is a new subject which requires pupils to apply knowledge and skills to solve practical problems. The emphasis is on the process of Design and Technology rather than linguistic skills in expressing it. Perhaps that is one reason for Technology's high priority in the National Curriculum.
