Design & Technology

Design and Technology

DT: Guide on a Side 

Intent

Our Design and Technology approach should help children adapt to a rapidly changing world by encouraging them to become curious about how things work and why they are there. We want pupils to be independent, creative problem solvers; to think as individuals and as part of a team. 

The impact of our Design and Technology intent should enable the pupils to: 

• Have a knowledge of and be inspired by key designers, engineers, architects and chefs
• Design and make products that solve real and relevant problems
• Have a greater understanding of healthy eating and how to prepare healthy meals

The children should critically evaluate products and have an awareness of how designs help shape and impact on cultural capital. 

Children will develop their self-belief and resilience as they design and make. Their skills should be transferable across the curriculum and should be transferable in everyday life. 

How we implement our DT curriculum:

To ensure that we deliver our intention and cover all objectives set out in the National Curriculum, we follow the Design, Make and Evaluate structure. The DT lead undertakes learning walks and book-looks to analyse DT teaching across school and to ensure consistency, coverage and progression.  The National Curriculum provides a structure and The Rainbow Curriculum provides skill progression for the DT curriculum being taught. This is, where possible, linked to our Big Ideas to provide a broad, creative approach, which reflects a balanced programme of study. Bloom's Taxonomy questions also allow the teachers to assess the depth of learning. Lessons are taught in a progressive sequence meaning that the children are building on prior knowledge and skills while being introduced to new ones.  

Planning for Progression

Teachers plan high quality lessons linked to the Big Idea, ensuring all areas of the National Curriculum are covered.  Lessons are taught in a progressive sequence meaning that the children are building on prior knowledge while slowly being introduced to new concepts.  

Cross-Curricular Opportunities

Our children enjoy the cross-curricular approach to their learning, and DT learning opportunities often complement other areas of the curriculum. Using the whole school Big Ideas (for example ‘Fragile Earth’) incorporated a number of activities linked to the environment (such as designing ways of reusing recyclable items) and these DT projects dovetailed with other subjects such as science, art & design and PSHE.

Recording work

Children present their research and designs in a creative scrapbook style. For DT, this may be photographs, design drawings, annotations and written work linked to their Big Idea weekly question. Finished builds are photographed and video recorded (in the case of moving models). This helps to consolidate learning and answer the Blooms Question to determine their level of understanding.

Food Technology

Opportunities are provided (at school and through extra curricular activities) for preparing food, designing meals, cooking, and learning about nutrition and healthy eating.

Visits and Visitors

Where possible, we encourage children to study design though school visits and through encouraging local organisations to visit the school and work with the children.

Extra-curricular DT

We have developed extra Curricular projects through STEM week, which allow the children to further develop their Design & Technology skills outside the classroom.

Support

DT is an inclusive subject but at times children can lack confidence in their ability. Support is provided by the class teacher, critical friends and a range of resources, in the safe, friendly and nurturing environment of the classroom. 

Impact

Impact is measured by analysing the quality of the children’s work and Blooms Assessment answers throughout the year, which is recorded at the end of each academic year. We are continually checking the impact of teaching on learning, through lesson drop ins/observations, book and planning scrutinies and pupil and staff voices. The result of our curriculum is for children to:

• Be curious learners, ask questions and aspirational thinkers by challenging their own ideas and extending their knowledge and understanding. 

• Identify needs and opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems

• Reflect on and evaluate past and present products and technology, its uses and its impact