Dynamic Designers
What We Intend To Do
“Scientists can show us what we should not do, but we need designers to show us what we should do.”
- Babette Porcelijn, designer and environmentalist
We want all our pupils to develop a love of Design & Technology through diverse and rich opportunities for developing their skills in both areas.
We aim for all our children to be creative and to solve real-life problems through design and technology because they:
• learn to be resourceful and innovative in their designs
• develop their problem-solving skills to provide options for designs
• develop a broad technical skill set, enabling them to create accurate, quality prototypes
• develop their finishing skills so that products are well-produced
• critique, evaluate and test the effectiveness of products
We strive to place creative and practical challenges at the heart of our Design and Technology teaching. We recognise that planning, problem-solving and reflective evaluating are all crucial life skills and should be developed through our teaching of Design and Technology. The expectation is that all children welcome the opportunity to develop their creativity and that teachers encourage children to embrace and welcome the challenges that are encountered through this process.
How We Teach Design & Technology
Teaching and learning takes place through high quality weekly Design & Technology lessons, delivered by a class teacher and supported by a classroom assistant. The time given to Design & Technology varies each week dependent on the project, with all children being provided with the opportunity to see a project through all of its phases.
Pupils are taught a range of skills through Design and Technology and they are also taught to develop their knowledge and understanding of the subject. At both Key Stage 1 and 2, children will have opportunities to design, make, evaluate products and to increase their technical knowledge. Cooking and nutrition will also be taught through the subject of Design and Technology. It is interwoven into the school’s curriculum and taught in a relevant way.
Our curriculum ensures that design project tasks are varied and relevant and that alongside each project, children are taught why the product is necessary and the benefits of good design. Technical skills are taught on a cyclical basis so that they are extended and enhanced each time they are taught.
Classroom resources
The classes are equipped with a variety of apparatus for design and technology projects, such as saws, wood, drills, glue-guns, gears, sewing materials, papers, card, electronics, craft materials and the safety equipment that goes alongside using these items. Additionally, teachers may provide project-specific equipment when necessary. Some foods are grown in the school grounds, in particular a wide range of herbs that can be used in cookery.
In Key Stage One the focus is on acquiring basic skills and understanding how to innovate design. In Key Stage Two as well as following given project objectives, pupils have the chance to completely innovate products which do not currently exist, and to work on projects that involve solely computer-aided design work.
How We Know Children Are Learning Well
The impact of teaching and learning Design & Technology is shown through confident children who enjoy all aspects of Design & Technology and who demonstrate excellence in their attitudes to practising their skills and developing their design ideas.
We recognise and assess how successfully the school's aims are met through lesson monitoring carried out by class teachers and teaching assistants. This is done through observations, feedback and discussions with the child, as well as through final piece assessment.
The Design & Technology subject leader will monitor standards through lesson observations, pupil conferences, and planning audits. Three times a year (Autumn Term, Spring Term, Summer Term), teachers make formal judgements of the children's attainment and progress in Design & Technology. These are submitted to the Subject Leader for review.