Design and Technology: Led by Miss Bilton

The Nature of Design and Technology

Design and technology, (D&T), is about evaluating, designing and making products for a specific need or purpose. It involves children learning about the world we live in and developing a wide range of skills through designing and making. Design and technology encourages pupils to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. They are taught to look for opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and making a range of products. They reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its effectiveness. They are encouraged to become innovators.

Curriculum Intent

Our high-quality design and technology curriculum is inspiring, rigorous, and practical. The curriculum is planned in a way that children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Children are encouraged to consider their own and others’ needs, wants, and values when designing and making. They will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, computing, and art. Pupils will learn to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wilder world. Our intention is that our curriculum for design and technology encourages children to learn how to make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth, and wellbeing of the nation.

Implementation

• We will develop children’s curiosity using their five senses, our children will be given many opportunities to explore the five strands of design and technology, mechanisms, structures, textiles, cooking and nutrition.
• Our projects address the six principles of design and technology, user, purpose, functionality, design decisions, innovation, and authenticity.
• We develop children’s understanding of design and technology through high quality teaching and carefully thought-out sequences of lessons. The lessons build children’s knowledge in a sequential way towards a clear end point.
• We encourage children to think and behave as a designer and maker taking part in investigating and evaluating activities (IEAs) of existing products, focussing on practical tasks (FPT) to develop new skills, and taking part in designing, making, and evaluating assignments (DMEA).
• We challenge children to present their conclusions in the most appropriate way and to use subject specific vocabulary linked to the five key strands of design and technology mechanisms, structures, textiles, cooking and nutrition.
• We will use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes and understand where food comes from and recognise our own food culture within a diverse society.
• Through our Eco Schools award children will develop their social responsibility about how food production and our food choices can impact on the environment.

Please click the links below to access the following documents for Design and Technology:
Policy
Long Term Plan
Knowledge and Skills Progression