Design & Technology Intent

Design Technology

Intent

At St John’s Catholic Primary School, we value Design and Technology as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. We have a Design and Technology curriculum that meets the National Curriculum and that develops many skills in the children. We aim to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Through the subject of ‘Design and Technology’ we are encouraging children to learn through a variety of creative and practical activities. Through these activities pupils are equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to engage successfully with increasing independence in the process of design and making.

Design and technology is an inspiring and practical subject which fosters the children’s creativity and imagination! Pupils design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Our Design and Technology curriculum ensures the children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as spoken language, mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. We intend to inspire the children to develop a love of Design and Technology and see how it has helped shape the ever-evolving technological world they live in!

Implementation

We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering the user, purpose of products and the user’s wants and values to develop a design criterion. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers.

The children use investigative and evaluative activities where they can learn from a range of existing products. Pupils are then encouraged to use the knowledge gained when designing and making their own products. Children develop skills to be able to evaluate their products, considering the views of others and their own design criteria.

As a school and in accordance with the National Curriculum’s expectations, we aim to ensure that all pupils develop their skills and learning in the key areas of Design and Technology:

Design
Make
Evaluate
Technical Knowledge
Cooking and Nutrition

We use a scheme called ‘Projects on a Page’ which uses a ‘focus’ to teach an aspect of Design and Technology for example a focus of ‘Shell Structures’ when looking at ‘Structures.’ Design and Technology skills and understanding are built into the lessons and follow an iterative process.

Using the scheme ensures our curriculum is progressive and meets national curriculum expectations. Every year the children develop their skills and knowledge in designing, making and evaluating in the key strands in Design and Technology (Structures, Mechanisms, Electrical systems, Textiles and Food and in Key Stage 2). Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of designing, making and evaluating.

Key knowledge, skills and vocabulary for Design and Technology have been mapped across the school to ensure progression year on year. All teachers have access to progression maps to differentiate learning for those children who have gaps in their learning or who have SEND needs. Design and technology lessons are taught once a term as a block so that the children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work.

In Autumn 1 the children looked at a BAME inventor/designer associated with their product/end design. Below shows the products children created in each year group and the DT focus.

Impact

The impact of using the full range of resources will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of Design and Technology. We want to ensure Design and Technology is loved by the children across the school, therefore encouraging them to continue building on this wealth of skills and understanding, now and in the future. The children are keen to learn new skills and work hard to perfect those shown to them.

Impact can be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child led assessments such as success criteria grids and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning. Teachers make formative assessments against objectives and use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately.

Our Design and Technology curriculum contributes to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Children in Foundation Stage are assessed within Expressive Arts and Design, Physical Development, Health and Self Care and Technology. Age related expectation levels are reported to parents at the end of the reception year.