Reclaiming Relevance: Positioning Design and Technology at the Heart of a Whole-School Creativity Framework

Abstract

Design and Technology (D&T) in the UK is approaching a crisis point, with declining enrolment, staffing shortages and increasing marginalisation in the curriculum. However, this paper argues that D&T is not a problem to be solved. Rather, it is a solution to be scaled. Positioned at the intersection of material practice, iteration, and design thinking, D&T is uniquely placed to lead a whole-school strategy for embedding creativity, not as an abstract ideal, but as a set of teachable, observable competencies. This paper introduces a structured Creative Competency Framework, drawing on cognitive science, classroom research and cross-curricular theory. It outlines 15 core and meta-competencies, from divergent thinking and sequencing to translational and meta-cognitive awareness. Moreover, the paper demonstrates how creative competencies can be mapped onto existing D&T projects to reveal and develop their creative potential. Using a bespoke AI-powered tool, the paper presents trial analyses of two contrasting projects to show how creative depth can be made visible, measurable and actionable. Ultimately, the paper proposes a new standard for assessing creativity that is not merely based on outcomes. In contrast, it is rooted in the thinking processes embedded in a task. Finally, the paper issues a call to practitioners to contribute to the refinement of this tool, with the aim of developing a bank of high-performing, creativity-rich D&T projects for shared use. The result is both a defence and a reinvention of the subject, repositioning D&T as foundational to a future-facing, creative curriculum