Design Technology
Curriculum Area: DT
Curriculum Leader: Miss Altham
Intent
At The Gates Primary School, we are committed to providing all children with learning opportunities to engage in Design Technology. We will prepare children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team.
Through the study of design and technology, they will combine practical skills with an understanding of a range of SMSC related issues such as aesthetic, social and environmental issues. Children will also be in the receipt of a high quality cross curricular curriculum which will provide children with opportunities to read high quality texts related to their overarching subject.
Skills in Design Technology are taught progressively and the children will apply their skills purposefully during our Young Enterprise Day when they will make a high quality product to be sold at the school’s annual Summer Fair. Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product; this is a key skill which they need throughout their life. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its impacts. Design and technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.
Implementation
The Design Technology curriculum at The Gates Primary has been carefully planned by the subject leader and has been based on the National Curriculum. The basis of the curriculum is the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children need in order to progress effectively from their individual starting points. Aspects of Design Technology are taught through a two year cycle which ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum whilst allowing for cross curricular links to a range of subjects; including, but not limited to, Geography, History and Science. Design Technology is taught in alternative half terms to Art, this allows knowledge, skills and vocabulary to be strengthened and developed across both subjects.
Children are taught Design Technology as part of their termly topic work. Aspects of Design Technology covered include mechanisms, structures, food and textiles with electronic circuits and computer aided designs taught at Key Stage 2. These elements of Design Technology have carefully been thought out by the subject leader to allow for the best links to the other areas of the curriculum. Design Technology allows children to explore past and present design and technology and offers children an opportunity to be designers and engineers when creating their own pieces that link to their given topic. For example, when learning about different types of animals in Science, children will have opportunities to develop their Design Technology knowledge skills and vocabulary whilst creating a bug hotel for the school grounds.
The medium term plans written by the subject leader provide teachers with a wealth of resources and support in order to plan and deliver sound knowledge, skills and vocabulary to every child. This ensures that all children, including children with SEND, achieve high standards taking into account their individual starting points. Each medium term plan ensures previous skills are recapped and developed allowing children to further their skills in each Design Technology aspect. Opportunities to reflect and develop are carefully planned as part of the teaching and learning process allowing children to develop their critical thinking skills as well as their resilience, courage and determination.
Assessment is an important part of the teaching of Design Technology at The Gates. Opportunities are regularly planned throughout the unit for children to self assess the skills they are learning with ample opportunities for the teacher to know what each child has achieved. The final outcome is a chance for each child to demonstrate the skills they have developed and apply these into their own creation. Teachers use these final pieces to assess the children's ability and attainment. Data is analysed by the subject leader who can then put the correct support and training in place in order to allow all children to achieve.
Enrichment opportunities are carefully thought out and planned to ensure there are other opportunities for children to experience their learning in art in different contexts. These can include workshops, visits and visitors that provide expertise for a range of skills, furthering children's knowledge, skills and vocabulary from a range of sources. Homework webs are planned half termly and each ensures that children have further opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills, at home, in their own creative way.
Impact
Our Design Technology curriculum will lead to teachers and children having a clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Children will be enthusiastic learners who have developed a range of skills needed to build, create and engineer a variety of products as well as promoting their own opinions in a positive and productive way. The impact of the curriculum will lead to excellent progression over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting points and their progression of skills. As a result the children of The Gates Primary School will be expected to achieve at least age-related expectations for Design Technology.
Achievements of all children are celebrated in a variety of ways, including whole school Design Technology displays that show a variety of products designed, created and evaluated by independent learners.
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