Design Technology

D&T in primary schools develops young children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. D&T encourages children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues.

DATA (The Design & Technology Association)  www.data.org.uk

Intent

Design and Technology is a way of learning, which spans and links the whole curriculum. In primary school it has its roots in imaginative play, art and science.  We want all children at St George and St Teresa to think innovatively, to question and explore the practical world around them and to develop a positive and passionate approach to their learning, through creative design because here everyone learns, everyone achieves and everyone matters. Teaching staff lead design technology lessons with a no ceiling approach to differentiation, taking into consideration the needs of children with SEND and the most able, enabling all children to access our challenging curriculum and to feel confident in their design decisions. Children understand how to apply their technical knowledge and justify their design decisions using key vocabulary, initial designs, mock-ups, prototypes and functional products from the conceptual through to the constructional, avoiding design fixation. We want to instil the ethos at the heart of all good design - to design, test, make and evaluate.

                       Something.......... for someone........... for some purpose.

We aim to help our children at St George and St Teresa's develop: enjoyment and pride in their technological and creative abilities; a keen and passionate interest in creating functional and user-focused designs and products; communication, cooperation and collaboration skills; confidence, perseverance and the ability to critically self-reflect and evaluate their design decisions, making valuable connections across the curriculum. We want children to challenge themselves with innovative and bold design, applying an iterative, problem-solving approach alongside critical thinking to show a deeper understanding of the design process. 

Implementation

Using the National Curriculum for Design and Technology, attached below, the development of Design and Technology proficiency at St Edwards is achieved through opportunities and experiences across a broad curriculum. Our Kapow enables pupils to take part in a wide range of practical activities directly concerned with:

• identifying needs

• generating ideas

• planning and designing

• making and testing

• evaluating and reflecting

All of these key disciplinary skills are realised through design projects which explore and use of a variety of mediums and materials such as textiles, construction, sheet materials, mechanisms, computer-aided design (CAD) and cooking and nutrition. 

Following an iterative design process is key to enabling children to evaluate and adjust their designs and products. We achieve this though various approaches such as: the use of handling displays for children to explore existing designs and products; well-structured lessons allowing time for exploration, discussion, practise and research; designing a product for a specific audience or 'client' in mind; cross-curricular links that allow children to make connections between subjects and with real-life situations and problems that may need a design solution; whole school Design and Technology days aimed to support children working collaboratively, such as planning, designing and making the perfect sculpture to enhance the Solihull communities.

Recently, as a result of an in-depth school-wide review of all subjects taught at St George and St Teresa, the Design and Technology curriculum continues to be developed, improved and reviewed in order to offer the most up to date, exciting and challenging lessons for all children. Through a considered curriculum, teachers can ensure that children at St George and St Teresa build upon the skills and knowledge acquired in KS1, gaining confidence and a deeper understanding as they progress through KS2 equipping them with the vital skills they will need going into KS3 and beyond. 

Impact

To assess that children have learnt more and remember more as they move through the design process, assessment for learning is embedded deeply across the school and can be seen in all year groups and in all lessons, meeting the needs of all children.  Pupils regularly share their design decisions through teacher-led and peer-based discussions. Children can demonstrate their understanding and develop their technical design skills demonstrating various points in the design cycle in working sketch/design books, reworking ideas and evaluating prototypes. Pupils complete assessments at the end of a design project to gauge their understanding and to assess their own progress. This also provides teachers will vital information that can be used to develop and improve the learning experience for all children at St George and St Teresa

Through creativity and innovation, design and technology continue to shape our lives. Using an activity-focused approach, a high-quality design and technology education should give pupils opportunities to create, innovate, design, make and evaluate a variety of well-crafted products. Pupils should be taught the technical skills and craftsmanship to execute practical tasks, thereby developing confidence in using these skills.