ABSTRACT
Design and technology can be a very popular and valuable subject for pupils with special educational needs because the practical nature of the learning experiences makes it accessible to pupils of all abilities. Pupils draw on their knowledge and understanding from across the curriculum, develop their numeracy, literacy and communication skills, and are required to apply these in practical ways. This helps them to consolidate skills from other lessons and reinforce learning with positive outcomes. Designing and making usable products can give pupils a real sense of achievement as they benefit from seeing clear progress and taking responsibility for their own learning. Their personal engagement with tasks often improves their attention span, patience, persistence and commitment so that, despite their additional needs, pupils can achieve results that are on par with, and occasionally even outshine, their peers. Design and technology offers them the chance to experience achievement at a level that may seldom occur elsewhere in school life.
