Design Technology

At Bishop Martin CE Primary School our Guiding LIGHT Curriculum is built around the National Curriculum, enriched to reflect the children and community we teach.

We strive to provide a curriculum that is underpinned by our Christian Values, which are embedded in the life and work of our school, and to allow all our children to 'Let their Light Shine'.

Let Your Light Shine Before Others So They May See Your Good Deeds' (Matthew 5.16)

National Curriculum - Purpose of Study

Design and Technology prepares children to take part in the development of today’s rapidly changing world. Through studying Design and Technology, children combine practical skills with an understanding of environmental, social and aesthetic issues in addition to understanding functions and industrial practices. By doing so, children frequently reflect on and evaluate present and past Design and Technology, its uses and the impacts it has. It involves the creative application of the principles of science to solve practical problems and is subject to the constraints of economics and social acceptability.

The aims of the National Curriculum are to:

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 in order 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.

Intent

Our Design Technology Curriculum intends to provide the children with a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all learning in our school. Our curriculum has been designed to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Through high-quality delivery we aim to:

Provide opportunities for all the children to design and make quality products.
Provide children with the opportunity to explore food and cooking techniques alongside the teaching the importance of healthy eating and environmental issues within food production.
Develop design and making skills using a select range of tools, materials and components; encouraging them to select appropriate tools whilst following safety procedures.
Develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and disliked when designing and making.
Encourage children to reflect on and evaluate techniques and its effects.
Foster enjoyment and purpose in designing and making.

Implementation

Curriculum Planning

The National Curriculum 2014 for Design and Technology is taught in our school. A long term plan is formulated by the Design and Technology Lead and maps out the units and DT skills covered in each term, supported by the 'Kapow scheme of Work'.

Medium term plans are provided to each year group by the Design and Technology Lead. They identify learning objectives and outcomes for each unit and ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. They also identify what must be seen in the Design and Technology books so that there is consistency in year groups and across school. Teachers do not create short term plans. They used the detailed MTP to create resources and PowerPoints for the lessons they are teaching. Teachers annotate their MTPs and refer to them from lesson to lesson. Specific annotation will include personalised adaptations for all SEN and Disadvantaged children, a plan for the TA and their role, an evaluation and next steps by the teacher and TA from their observations of the lesson- for every lesson.

The timetable has been structured to allow for the teaching of Design and Technology to be taught for 1 hour each week: we split the terms between D&T and Art, with subjects alternating each half term. The time dedicated to D&T ensures that each topic can be delivered to a high standard and children can create useful products. Resources are plentiful and allow children to be clever and creative when designing and making their products.

The scheme covers the four areas of technology across each Key Stage which includes:

Cooking & nutrition

Textiles

Structure

Mechanisms

All year groups, except the Foundation Stage, will undertake 60 minutes of DT work a week for a half term; in all three terms. The mode of working in Design & Technology is both individual and co-operative group work. Within this structure, the groups are usually of mixed ability and children are encouraged to develop inter-personal skills through discussion, enquiry and negotiation and to be able to work as part of a team.

Design & Technology is taught by the class teachers. Teachers welcome helpers in the classroom to assist with cooking, textiles and construction activities etc. by preparing materials and supervising group activities. The emphasis in our teaching of Design & Technology is on providing opportunities for pupils to combine their skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make products. Our main emphasis is on skill development throughout the school and progression of children’s skill sets.

We recognise the importance of Design & Technology within the curriculum and we aim to celebrate this on display and presentation boards in classrooms and throughout the school. Work can also be presented in celebration assemblies.

Design Technology Subject Overview

Impact

Impact will be measured through formative assessment throughout Design and Technology lessons, end of unit quizzes and through marking children’s work. Pupils’ Design and Technology work is marked by the teacher in line with the School’s Marking policy Teachers are expected to mark Design and Technology work, picking up on subject specific vocabulary spelling and knowledge identified on the medium term plans. This will be used to support and identify specific areas children need to develop. This knowledge will then impact on the daily planning of lessons to support and develop these specific areas.

In addition to this, children in Y1-6 will also complete an evaluation of their finished product. The aims and format of the evaluations are set out at the beginning of the topic and teachers can find this outline on the central shared drive. Teachers then use all of this information to inform their judgements on askEddi (school assessment system) each term.