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Roebuck

Academy

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Design & Technology

Introduction

DT is made up of two strands; Designing, making and evaluating products and cooking and nutrition. It is imperative that both strands are taught to a high standard throughout KS1 and KS2.

Intent of DT curriculum

At our school we intend that children should master Design and Technology to such an extent that they can go on to have careers within Design and Technology and make use of design and technology effectively in their everyday lives. Our children will be taught Design and Technology in a way that ensures progression of skills, and follows a sequence to build on previous learning.

Our children will gain practical experience and skills of a wide range of formal elements of design and concepts of technology in a safe way that will enhance their learning opportunities, enabling them to use design and technology across a range of subjects and contexts to be creative and solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and other’s needs, wants and values, ensuring they make progress and aim for excellence.

In EYFS, DT begins with child initiated exploration of technological toys, different materials, tools and techniques to construct with purpose in mind.

During Key Stage 1 children begin to put this exploration into action by designing, making and evaluating purposeful, functional and appealing products for themselves. They select and use a range of tools and materials to perform practical tasks according to specific characteristics. Children will build structures, explore and use mechanisms as well as prepare healthy and varied dishes with an understanding of where food comes from.

During Key Stage 2 children use research to devise their own design criteria to aid their design of innovative, functional and appealing products fit for purpose for a target audience. They will select and use a wider range of tools and materials. Children will work with more complex structures, understand and use mechanical and electrical systems, apply and use computing knowledge in their products as well as prepare and cook predominately savoury dishes, understanding seasonality and where ingredients have come from.

Implementation

We want to ensure that Design and Technology is embedded in our whole school curriculum and that opportunities for enhancing learning by using design and technology are always taken. With this in mind, DT is delivered as part of an immersive curriculum with links often made to Science, History or Geography. However, DT is taught as a discrete lesson and children are aware that when studying this that this is Design and Technology and not history! Each unit is begun with a big question which the children are expected to consider and design their product accordingly.

We follow a broad and balanced Design and Technology curriculum that builds on previous learning and provides both support and challenge for learners. We follow a Design and Technology scheme that ensures progression of skills and covers all aspects of the Design and Technology curriculum. Class teachers are free to teach DT lessons as a blocked unit of work taking place within a week or as a sequence of lessons over a half term.

Children’s work and pictures of their work will be placed into their DT books for reference and assessment. 

Impact

Our children enjoy and value Design and Technology and know why they are doing things, not just how. Children will understand and appreciate the value of Design and Technology in the context of their personal wellbeing and the creative and cultural industries and their many career opportunities. 

Progress in Design and Technology is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and scrutinising children’s work, to ensure that progression of skills is taking place. Namely through:

  • Looking at pupils’ work, especially over time as they gain skills and knowledge
  • Observing how they perform in lessons
  • Talking to them about what they know.

Summative assessment data is provided by class teachers termly to indicate the number of children performing below age related expectations, at age related or those deemed to be greater depth. This helps to inform the subject leader of the progress made towards developing age related skills and knowledge.

The Design and Technology curriculum will contribute to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. This would be seen in them being able to talk confidently about their work, and sharing their work with others. 

Progress will be shown through outcomes and through the important record of the process leading to them.