D&T

Design and Technology

Intent

At St Joseph’s, we intend to provide a Design and Technology curriculum in which pupils are encouraged to investigate, plan, adapt and evaluate their own work to help them appreciate design as a dynamic and ever-changing process. This also allows children to see the real-life applications for this subject and make links between their own work and that of scientists, engineers, and designers. Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subjects. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within various contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. By evaluating past and present design and Technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the nation’s creativity, culture, wealth, and well-being.

At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, the overarching aim for our Design and Technology [DT] curriculum is to develop pupils’ learning so that they can acquire the appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding, which promotes their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience for later life. We believe our DT teaching should prepare our pupils to participate in the development of today’s rapidly changing world. Creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life. The subject should encourage children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems. Through the study of design and Technology, children will combine practical skills to understand aesthetic, social and environmental issues, functions, and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and Technology, its uses and impacts. Design and Technology help all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators. We live in a technological age, surrounded by artefacts and systems produced, designed and made for us by other humans working together in a complex range of activities. Our D&T curriculum helps to develop the pupils’ reading skills.

We aim to get pupils to use their creativity and imagination design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within various contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. In this process, they will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on mathematics, science, engineering, computing, and art disciplines. Furthermore, pupils will learn to take risks, and become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. By evaluating the past and present design and Technology, they will develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.

Aims

Our curriculum for Design and Technology ensures that all pupils:

  • develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world;
  • build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users;
  • critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others;
  • understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Implementation

  • The clear and comprehensive programme of study we have adopted at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School allows all pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Also, to work in various contexts – such as in the home, school, gardens, playgrounds, community, industry and the wider environment. More specifically, our programme of study works directly in line with the National Curriculum aims to ensure pupils:

In KS1

  • Have the opportunity to design
    • Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and others based on design criteria.
    • Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication Technology.
  • Have the opportunity to make
    • Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks- such as cutting, shaping, joining and finishing.
    • Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.
  • Have the opportunity to evaluate
    • Explore and evaluate a range of existing products
    • Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
  • Gain technical knowledge
    • By building structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.
    • Explore and use mechanisms – such as levers, wheels and axles – in their products.

In KS2

  • Have the opportunity to o design.
    • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional appealing products that are fit for purpose, and aimed at a particular audience.
    • Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
  • Have an opportunity to make.
    • By selecting from a broader range of tools and equipment [than experienced in KS1] to perform practical tasks accurately- such as cutting, shaping, joining and finishing.
    • Selecting from and using a more comprehensive range of materials and components [than experienced in KS1] includes construction materials, textiles, and ingredients.
  • Have the opportunity to evaluate.
    • Investigate and analyse a range of existing products
    • Evaluate their ideas and products against their design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
    • Understand how key events and individuals in design and Technology have helped shape the world
  • Gain technical knowledge
    • Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
    • Understand and use mechanical systems in their products – such as gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages.
    • Understand and use electrical systems in their products – such as series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors.
    • Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Furthermore, our programme of study ensures as part of their work with food. Pupils will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. We believe that instilling a love for cooking greatly expresses human creativity and a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others.

Again, our programme of study works directly in line with the National Curriculum and teaches pupils:

In KS1

  • To use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
  • Understand where food comes from

In KS2

  • Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
  • Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range o cooking techniques
  • Understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed

In summary, we aim to implement this by:

  • Using a straightforward, comprehensive programme of study that works in line with the National Curriculum and allows the pupils to know more, remember more and understand more
  • Knowledge Organisers/Working Walls
    • allowing children to have essential knowledge, language and meanings to understand DT and to use these skills across the curriculum

Progression of Design and Technolgy Knowledge and Skills

Design and Technology Progression

Mechanisms Progression of Skills

Structure Progression of Skills

Cooking and Nutrition Progression of Skills

Textiles Progression of Skills

Vocabulary

Design & Technology Vocabulary Progression

Impact

By the end of the Key Stage:

  • Children will know more, remember more and understand more about DT
  • The large majority of children will achieve age-related expectations by the end of the year

Age-related endpoints for each unit in each year group in the following domains

Attainment targets

By the end of each key Stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Assessment – Assessment for learning is carried out throughout each lesson taught through observation. Live nudges are used as, and when needed,d and some formative and summative assessments are carried out throughout the year.

Moderation:

  1. In-house
  2. Cross-school
  3. Local Authority
  4. The above will be monitored and discussed during pupil progress meetings and staff performance management.