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Design Technology

Intent 

Our Design Technology curriculum is developed from the National Curriculum for Design Technology at Key Stages One and Two.  Long Term plans outline the continuous skills that are taught at each milestone.  The continuous skills relate to the design, make and evaluate process that is central to each design project.  Alongside the continuous skills, is the technical knowledge and food and nutrition objectives that are taught in each milestone phase.  From the long-term planning, Medium Term Plans are created on termly basis which outline the specific technical / food objectives that are covered in a particular project.  The continuous objectives remain constant as the process for each unit of work.  We use the Kapow design technology scheme of work to support our design technology curriculum. 

Implementation 

  • Key skills and key knowledge for DT have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups.  
  • The context for the children’s work in Design and Technology is also well considered and children learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples, as well as developing their skills throughout the programme of study.  
  • Design and technology lessons are also taught as a block so that children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work.   
  • These lessons are usually delivered weekly although in some cases, it may be more appropriate to have a DT day or days where the majority of the making part of the project can be completed.     
  • We use a range of resources and use Kapow DT curriculum to support our teaching.   
  • DT is taught alongside other subjects but there may be links made to other curriculum subjects – for example, pupils make a bread recipe which links to their work in History on Vikings as the stimulus for the project is a Viking Bread recipe.   
  • Resourcing for DT is critical to the delivery and success of the projects.  A range of DT resources and tools are available in school.   
  • Pupils work is collated into a DT booklet that outlines the process of developing a product from the research stage through to the evaluation stage.   

Impact 

We believe that progression in DT require all aspects of the discipline to be developed.  The process of designing and making a product is critical to the pupils’ understanding of this subject.  Alongside the process (which remains largely the same in each project) it is important that pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world   

An ongoing record of these skills and concepts is kept in order to build up a picture throughout the Milestone phase the child is working in.  Milestone assessment sheets give suggestions to staff of how information can be collected through assessment activities which will help to build a picture of each child or cohort’s current level of understanding.  The aim is to build a narrative for each child or group rather than to collect data.  This information can then be shared with the next year group’s teacher who can build upon the starting points of the class.   

At Crookhill Primary we believe that studying Design Technology will help pupils to develop a range of practical skills.  They will also deepen their understanding of the importance of food and nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle.  The design and make process allows pupils to develop their understanding of how products are created, developed and refined in the real world.   

Through the study of Design Technology, children learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising 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 wider world.