Self-Review Framework

The Design & Technology Association will introduce a new website and associated IT systems in August 2026 as part of ongoing improvements to its digital offer. This change will include an updated version of the Self-Review Framework and D&T Mark.

Under the new system, the programme will be relaunched as the ‘D&T Quality Mark’, with revised statements for schools to work towards. Please note that existing evidence will not transfer automatically to the new platform.

As a result, no further applications will be processed through the current system. Schools considering applying for the D&T Quality Mark are advised to wait until the new system is in place before submitting. If you have already begun gathering and uploading evidence, please retain this externally so it can support a future application, as any data uploaded will not be transferred across. It will, however, need to be aligned to the updated criteria once the new system is live. We hope this provides enough time to back up your data if required.

Primary Self Review Framework

Secondary Self Review Framework 

All schools are required to complete an annual self review. This generally requires primary D&T Subject Coordinators and secondary Subject Leaders to provide information to their Senior Management Team. The process of collecting this information can be demanding and may not be well supported by resources that support the process adequately. Our new Self Review Framework and D&T Mark has been designed to address this need.

The D&T Association Self-Review Framework (SRF) is now available for all membership categories even the Basic entry level membership category to help you to assess and progress your department.

The framework will enable you to:

• ensure you can fully evaluate your current provision
• plan to fully address the National Curriculum programmes of study for D&T
• develop your schemes of work that are ‘learning driven’ and made up of a range of appropriate D&T activity
• ensure that contribution that D&T makes to a broad and balanced curriculum is recognised within the school community.

The framework requires schools to evaluate their provision in three distinct domains:

• Principles for  learning in D&T
• Curriculum for learning in D&T
• Environment for learning in D&T

Those undertaking the review are guided by a series of questions in each domain which will usually demand teachers responsible for teaching D&T to engage in professional discussion with colleagues and identify suitable sources of evidence to support their response.

Design & Technology Quality Mark

The Association originally developed the D&T Mark to provide schools with a quality standard against which they could evaluate their practice in design education. This has now been developed into the ‘D&T Quality Mark’, an aspirational quality mark for both primary and secondary schools that recognises their excellence in design and technology education. It has been developed so that having undertaken the self review process, schools are able to apply for the quality mark to recognise their achievement.