DT Curriculum Intent

Our High-quality Design and Technology curriculum is fully inclusive to every child. We use the scheme Projects on a Page from the Design and Technology Association. Our curriculum engages, inspires and challenges every child to have the knowledge, skills and vocabulary to plan, design and make high-quality prototypes for a wide range of users. Pupils are taught to critique, evaluate and test their ideas, products and the work of others. It is our aim to teach the pupils the key knowledge, understanding and skills required to be successful as designers. These skills will be taught progressively as they move on their journey of learning through the school, ensuring they are fully able to access their next stage of learning and to develop personal interests and passions within the subject. They will be given opportunities to develop these and combine them with knowledge and skills from other subjects, particularly Maths, Science, Computing and Art. Using themed projects captivates the interests of the children, nurtures their creativity and allows them to innovate, ultimately allowing them to develop the technical knowledge to design, make and evaluate functional and appealing products for a particular purpose and user. We aim to nurture their natural curiosity and develop this to give our children a deeper understanding of their world and to prepare them for the future, where technology plays a vital role in the world’s future prosperity.

DT Curriculum Implementation

Design and Technology is a crucial part of school life and learning. We use the scheme projects on a Page from the Design and Technology Association. We are dedicated to delivering high-quality teaching and strong subject knowledge from staff enables children to knowledge and skills that embed long-term understanding and develop lifelong learning. This subject allows opportunities for children to learn practically and apply their imagination and creatively in a purposeful way, while still linking it to their learning topic.  Children learn to take risks and how to become reflective, resilient learners whilst learning how Design Technology impacts everyday life and the wider world.

Part of implementing an effective Design and Technology curriculum is encouraging children to work collaboratively with others. Collaborative work in Design and Technology develops mutual respect for the differing opinions, abilities and beliefs of others. It also helps children to respect their environment and the health and safety of themselves and others. They learn to appreciate that their ideas and opinions may differ to others and learn to show tolerance. Children are encouraged to work in a democratic way by listening to others and sometimes accepting the ideas of others may be more suitable than their own to create the most effective product.

From Early Years to the end of Key Stage 2, we aim to provide a progressive scheme of work that is carefully designed so that the learning is sequentially, and critical knowledge is identified and taught specifically in each unit. This curriculum helps learners to remember and integrate new knowledge into larger concepts, through retrieval practise and the acquisition of new learning.

DT Curriculum Impact

Assessment of children's learning in Design Technology takes the form of ongoing monitoring of children's understanding, knowledge and skills using key questioning skills built into lessons by the class teacher. Child-led assessment such as success criteria and evaluation grids are also used to inform the differentiation, support and challenge required by the children. Design Technology is monitored by the subject leader throughout the year in the form of collection of evidence (photos), book monitoring, looking at outcomes measured against age-based progression and pupil interviews to discuss their learning. This tangible evidence aids understanding and establishes the impact of the teaching taking place.

Our Design and Technology curriculum ensures that children:

• act as responsible innovative designers, planners and makers, working ethically, using materials and resources carefully;
• have an extensive design and technological knowledge, skills and vocabulary;
• explore their ideas to express their individuality in creative forms;
• have a thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products and nutritional dishes;
• manage risk, be resourceful, innovative and enterprising to manufacture products safely and hygienically;
• confidently articulate their learning through recording, critiquing and evaluating their products and designs;
• have a love and appreciation for Design and Technology within the wider world and are proud of their achievements;
• the majority meet age related expectations in Design and Technology.

Subject Progression Map

Subject progression maps can be found here