The importance of primary Design and Technology
Design and Technology gives children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. It is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work. The skills developed through Design and Technology can help with overall learning across the rest of the curriculum. It enables students to utilise academic knowledge and understanding in an applied context. Gaining knowledge of properties of materials and manufacturing methods enables students to make sense of the world we live in. Understanding how materials behave in their natural state, and under certain conditions, helps educate students about why products and the built-up environment are made of specific materials. Through Design and Technology, children use problem solving skills and creativity to consider important issues. They learn about designing solutions to improve people’s lives, and understand more about the impact of products on the world.
Our ambition
We aim for children to develop:
- Significant levels of originality and the willingness to take creative risks to produce innovative ideas and prototypes.
- An excellent attitude to learning and independent working.
- The ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.
- The ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop an exceptionally detailed knowledge of users’ needs.
- The ability to act as responsible designers and makers, working ethically, using finite materials carefully and working safely.
- A thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.
- The ability to apply mathematical knowledge.
- The ability to manage risks exceptionally-well to manufacture products safely and hygienically.
- A passion for the subject and knowledge of up-to-date technological innovations in materials, products and systems.
Curriculum Intent
Our design and technology projects are well-sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s designing, planning, making and evaluating skills. Each project is based around a design and technology subject focus of structures, mechanisms, cooking and nutrition or textiles. The design and technology curriculum’s electronic systems and IT monitoring and control elements are explicitly taught in our science projects to ensure the links between the subjects are highlighted. Where possible, meaningful links to other areas of the curriculum have been made. For example, the cooking and nutrition project ‘Eat the Seasons’ is taught alongside the geography project ‘Sow, Grow and Farm’. All the projects follow a structure where children are introduced to key concepts and build up knowledge and skills over time, using a more comprehensive range of equipment and building, cutting, joining, finishing and cooking techniques as they progress through school.
All projects contain focused, practical tasks in the ‘Develop’ stage to help children gain the knowledge and skills needed to complete their Innovate tasks independently. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, children build up their knowledge and understanding of the iterative design process. They design, make, test and evaluate their products to match specific design criteria and ensure they fit their purpose. Throughout the projects, children are taught to work hygienically and safely.
Curriculum Implementation
Our curriculum is adapted from ‘Cornerstones’ to specifically meet the needs of our learners through the ‘St Barnabas Top 10’. These are:
- Be ready – as primarily a practical subject, staff have their specific children in mind when ensuring that all resources are prepared for each Design and Technology lesson.
- Explicit instruction and scaffolding – Design and Technology has clear learning questions (or objectives where appropriate) and staff use clear, unambiguous language to guide children through each lesson to enable them to succeed.
- Learning that can be remembered – At the beginning of each Design and Technology lesson, previous learning is re-activated with a visual prompt so that it can be further built on.
- Good subject knowledge and professional development behaviours – subject knowledge audits are carried out regularly so that staff can be supported to feel confident in delivering all aspects of Design and Technology.
- Continuous assessment and feedback – potential misconceptions are specifically planned for to allow children to make products that are fit for purpose.
- Adaptive teaching – Design and Technology is taught in a way that is ambitious for all and responds to individual needs. For example, children might receive extra support in understanding technical vocabulary, or with practical skills.
- Generative thinking – children are asked open questions to encourage deeper thinking about the subject, and all children are expected to participate at each stage of the design, make and evaluate process.
- Development of language – key vocabulary will be defined for each topic on Knowledge Sequence Organisers, so that all children can access it. Children are encouraged to apply technical language through discussion.
- High expectations for learning behaviour – children are praised for making choices that promote safety and learning.
- Metacognition and self-regulation – Every topic encourages children to design, plan, make and evaluate outcomes. Assessment is a collaborative process between staff, children and their peers.
Curriculum Impact
All children including those with SEND, English as an Additional Language (EAL), the most able and/or those who are disadvantaged, will go to secondary school ready to build on firm foundations in key aspects of Design and Technology. They will already be able to cook some delicious and nutritious meals. Children will be confident and enthusiastic about the subject and ready to become the designers, engineers and manufacturers of the future in our ever-innovating world.
Each year we also host ‘The Great St Barnabas Egg Race’, to develop children’s application of Design and Technology.
Monitoring and Assessment
The impact of the curriculum is evaluated through continuous and systematic assessment and monitoring. Children’s learning is assessed throughout lessons so that teachers can quickly identify misconceptions and give further support or challenge when needed. At the end of each unit of teaching, children’s learning is assessed against specific design criteria and learning questions. Parents are informed of their children’s learning in Design and Technology through parent meetings and the annual report to parents.
The subject leader monitors the impact of curriculum using assessment information, by observing teaching, by looking at children’s work and by talking to children and teachers. The link governor monitors the work of the subject leader through visits, presentations, workshops and by talking to the children.
Please follow the links below for more information:
Design and Technology Cornerstones Curriculum Overview
Year 3/4 DT – Fresh Food Good Food