Intent

What is Design Technology?

Design and technology gives young people the skills and abilities to engage positively with the designs they see in the world around them and to use the benefits of technology. It prepares children to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world.

How have we designed our technology curriculum?

Design and Technology (D&T) is a practical subject aiming to develop children’s capabilities to design and make products that not only work well, but that also respond to a specific design need. We have given careful consideration to how we have designed our curriculum for D&T, with careful consideration of our school community.

As designers, we want children to:

• Develop their understanding of the needs for any intended user
• Research existing products and apply this knowledge to their own designs
• Be innovative with their designs
• Work collaboratively with others
• Be able to use a range of materials suitable to the design task
• Use a range of tools independently and safely – selecting the right tools for the task

Design and Technology and Why it is Important:

A short film aimed at linking work that students are carrying out within their schools to the work being completed by professional designers.

Implementation

Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, using materials from the Design Technology Association.

Our Curriculum:

• Is a spiral curriculum; each year there are three main areas: Make; Sew and Cook. This means that children build their skills and build on prior learning as they move through the school.
• Is planned carefully to take into consideration that mixed aged classes we have.
• Is vocabulary rich so that children develop subject specific vocabulary.
• Is planned so that the children start to think like designers.
• Follows the process of:
  • Purpose
  • Evaluating existing designs
  • Focused practical tasks
  • Designing
  • Making
  • Evaluating

There is a clear progression document for design technology. Skills build between units and where there are mixed aged classes, careful consideration is given to this. By returning to the same themes each year, the children are able to develop as designers and secure their skills and understanding. This increases their knowledge of D&T over time.

Special Educational Needs and Science

How do we ensure all children can access D&T lessons?

Although a child may have been identified as having a special educational need, they may not have a special educational need in Design Technology. Effective high quality teaching is the key to enabling all children to participate and develop their design and technological knowledge and skills. Adaptive teaching within lessons is a vital component to ensure that a balance of support and challenge are achieved for all abilities

Challenge and support specific to Design Technology may include:

• varying the types of equipment used
• first hand experiences – e.g. when using specific skills
• some pre-teaching as well as using more advanced vocabulary
• providing picture clues and definitions for those needing more support

Pupils not secure within a lesson sequence are noted and adjustments made to the lessons or level of support given. Similarly, added challenge is given if pupils are identified as requiring it. This may be noted by the teacher through questioning or the use of written work.

Impact

Our Design and technology curriculum has been designed to enable end products to reflect an effective design and making process. Our hope is to develop children who are confident designers, who enjoy exploring a range of designs and topics and to value the role technology has in society and the job opportunities which this subject offers.

Each topic ends with all children creating a final product; these products are a fantastic way for children to demonstrate the skills they have learnt. Throughout the school, children are given the opportunity to consolidate their skills by creating their final product both independently and collaboratively. Each lesson builds incrementally on prior knowledge and skills to ensure progression throughout each topic. The overall aim is to ensure clear progression of skills throughout the school. 

At Greenacres Primary School evidence of the children’s learning can now be found in their STEM books and STEM floor books. Subject and school leaders monitor the impact of our curriculum provision through monitoring, which includes listening to the voice of the children.