Design and Technology

Intent

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Our DT curriculum is designed to prepare our children for the challenges for the developing world. Using curiosity, creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Both as individuals and as part of a team children combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design and make products. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, independently devising resourceful, creative solutions to meet targets. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

We understand the teaching of food and nutrition is of great importance and relevant to current times. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils gives the opportunity to develop their curiosity of cultural differences in food choices, diet and methods of cooking. Learning how to cook independently is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others now and in later life.

Implement

All teaching of design and technology follows the design, make and evaluate cycle. This is broken into year group progression documents showing continuity by developing the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to meet the challenges of a design brief or question. The children are challenged to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of uses. Finally, the children develop independent skills to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others. Further to this the same cycle is applied to understand the principles of basic nutrition and learn how to cook.

The children are given opportunities to experience design and technology on educational visits at for example local museums, food establishments and with hands on experiences in the local environment.

Impact

The impact of our DT curriculum can be seen in the children’s Journals and classroom displays and the school environment. Children are able to work through the design, make, evaluate cycle with increased independence using prior experience of skills and knowledge. The impact of the taught curriculum is measured by pupil voice and dialogue between teachers and pupils to address any misconceptions. The children are able to reason about their ideas, and respond to suggestions for alternative approaches to better meet design questions. They are able to compare outcomes of tasks to initial ideas and link them to the cycle by describing, drawing diagrams and writing in various forms to represent the design, make evaluate process.

Progression Document