Year 9 Design and Technology: What to Teach (England)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 9 Design and Technology: every national curriculum statement, the tests and dates that matter, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.
- Country
- England
- Key stage
- KS3
- Ages
- 13–14
- Status
- Compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3
- Source
- National curriculum in England – Published 2013-09-11
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Roughly the same age as US Grades 6–8 (approximate: the systems don't line up exactly).
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.
Current. The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (Nov 2025) says a revised national curriculum will be published by spring 2027 for first teaching from September 2028.
What to teach
Below is the official programme of study for Year 9 Design and Technology: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.
Key stage 3 19 statutory statements
Introduction to Key stage 3 (official text)
Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of domestic and local contexts [for example, the home, health, leisure and culture] and industrial contexts [for example, engineering, manufacturing, construction, food, energy, agriculture (including horticulture) and fashion].
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
Design Statutory
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- use research and exploration, such as the study of different cultures, to identify and understand user needs
- identify and solve their own design problems and understand how to reformulate problems given to them
- develop specifications to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that respond to needs in a variety of situations
- use a variety of approaches [for example, biomimicry and user-centred design] to generate creative ideas and avoid stereotypical responses
- develop and communicate design ideas using annotated sketches, detailed plans, 3-D and mathematical modelling, oral and digital presentations
Make Statutory
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- select from and use specialist tools, techniques, processes, equipment and machinery precisely, including computer-aided manufacture
- select from and use a wider, more complex range of materials, components and ingredients, taking into account their properties
Evaluate Statutory
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- analyse the work of past and present professionals and others to develop and broaden their understanding
- investigate new and emerging technologies
- test, evaluate and refine their ideas and products against a specification, taking into account the views of intended users and other interested groups
- understand developments in design and technology, its impact on individuals, society and the environment, and the responsibilities of designers, engineers and technologists
Technical knowledge Statutory
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- understand and use the properties of materials and the performance of structural elements to achieve functioning solutions
- understand how more advanced mechanical systems used in their products enable changes in movement and force
- understand how more advanced electrical and electronic systems can be powered and used in their products [for example, circuits with heat, light, sound and movement as inputs and outputs]
- apply computing and use electronics to embed intelligence in products that respond to inputs [for example, sensors] and control outputs [for example, actuators] using programmable components [for example, microcontrollers]
Cooking and nutrition Statutory
As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Pupils should be taught to:
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health
- cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet
- become competent in a range of cooking techniques [for example, selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes]
- understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients
Assessments and key dates
There are no national tests or checks in Year 9. Your school will use its own assessments.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS3 (government-funded).
- BBC Bitesize – Short videos and quizzes by key stage and subject.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Other subjects in Year 9: English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Citizenship, Computing, Geography, History, Languages, Music, PE.
Find another TIP · National curriculum overview
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: design and technology programmes of study (GOV.UK), © Crown copyright.
Statements in the curriculum lists are copied word for word from GOV.UK; everything else on this page (headings, notes, summaries) is written by us. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education or the Standards and Testing Agency. Always check the official documents linked on this page.
Questions teachers ask
Is design and technology compulsory in Year 9?
Yes. Design and Technology is a compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3 in England (national curriculum framework, figure 1).
Is the Year 9 content set out year by year?
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.