Design Technology

Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed with the intent that all children will become a competent designer, who is inquisitive about the world around them. We intend to provide the children with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and in a range of materials, including food. Design and Technology lessons encourage children’s creativity and encourages them to think about important issues, solving real problems as both individuals and as part of a team. The children are also provided with opportunities to evaluate existing products to assess their effectiveness, including inventors and use these evaluative skills to assess their own work.

Implementation

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Design and Technology, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We ensure that Design and Technology has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.

Design and Technology is discreetly taught as part of a half-termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Design and Technology is taught through the area of learning known as ‘Expressive Arts and Design’, in which children are supported to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of exploring current work and designs, designing and making their own, and evaluating the effectiveness of their own model. Children will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating which is a crucial life skill. The importance of health and safety will be highlighted.

Children in Years 5 and 6 will experience visitors from BOM and visits to BOM.  This will further develop their own knowledge, skills and understanding of Design Technology and how it fits within STEM subjects.

Activities within Design and Technology lessons will be adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. Children’s deeper thinking will be evaluated using open-ended questions and they will be encouraged to follow lines of thought independently.

Impact

Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to ensure pupils are able to explore, design, make and evaluate a product that solves a problem. The progression document provides clear targets for pupils at each stage of their learning and enables teachers to provide opportunities for pupils learning which are pitched appropriately.

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum will be measured through teacher assessment, school leader monitoring and subject leader monitoring.

Outcomes in Art and Design and Technology floor books will evidence a broad and balanced Design and Technology curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge.

Careers linked to Design Technology:

A Graphic Designer

An Interior Designer

A Teacher

An Urban Planner

An Architect

A University Lecturer

A Professor