Design Technology Subject Leadership
Aims of our Design Technology Curriculum
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. We aim to inspire pupils and develop their creativity and imagination. Pupils will design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Throughout their time at Gilded Hollins, pupils will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Children will 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. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
Intent
The Design and technology scheme of work we follow, written by ‘Kapow’, aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements. Our Design and technology scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those in the National curriculum. EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils’ to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals. |
Implementation
Our Design and technology scheme follows four main stages of the design process:
Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality.
Our Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. Our National curriculum overview shows which of our units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the four strands.
Our Progression of skills shows the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.
Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and we have made this one of our six key areas that pupils revisit throughout their time at Gilded Hollins:
To extend our curriculum, we invite ‘Classroom Kitchen’ (a paid for experience) into school to broaden our pupils’ understanding of the topic. This has become an extremely important resource for us and is a highlight for the pupils, giving our children a unique and engaging experience.
Through our Primary’s Design and technology scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum.
At Gilded Hollins, we implement a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiation is used in every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust Design and technology curriculum. The scheme of work we use at Gilded Hollins supports teachers, as each unit of lessons includes multiple teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD.
|
Impact
Our scheme of work is designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about Design Technology, but they will be able to talk confidently about their own learning journey, have higher metacognitive skills and have a growing understanding of how to improve.
Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge organiser which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit. Because of this, pupils will leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society. The expected impact of following our Design and technology scheme of work is that children will:
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
- Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
- Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
- Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.
- Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
- Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.
- Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.
Monitoring, Standards and Progress:
Design Technology has discreet skills and specific knowledge that is taught over the course of the year and can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Teachers compare children's progress against the expectations outlined within these progression grids and outcomes are recorded on our school tracking grid annually.
In DT, the children use project booklets, DT workbooks, photographs and displays as an ongoing resource. As the work contained within their workbooks is built upon by each child, so their progression is shown and can monitored throughout school.
Photographs, work sampling and evidence of whole class display work is collected throughout the year – also allowing monitoring of children’s work and progression.
Pupil Voice
“We loved making food because you follow a recipe and if you do it right, the food tastes really nice”. - Year 2
“We loved making out wooden ball games! It was quite difficult but all of our designs were different and we got to test each other’s out.” – Year 5
“Making the salad was my favourite because we got to try the ingredients before we deigned it and then I only put in things that I knew that I liked.” – Year 3
Where to now? Recent developments, highlights and priorities for future developments
- This year, pupils were able to use hammers, saws, glue guns and many different materials within their lessons. They had to think of their safety as well as their final product.
- All of the children used DT booklets to help them understand which part of the process they were doing at the time. This really helped them to focus on either the research, design, making or evaluation aspect.
- All classes made food during the year including salads, cakes, stews and pizzas. Children had to think of safety, product design, ingredients and evaluations to complete their meals.
Priorities for future development
- Ensure that Design Technology is well resourced
- Monitor and analyse the assessments made over the year to ensure good achievement and progress for all children.
- Support teachers to continue to develop their knowledge of DT using ‘Kapow’ resouces.
- Ensure that all children use DT workbooks and booklets effectively to help with their understanding of the different aspects of DT.
