Design Technology

Design and Technology prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to the quality of life. The subject encourages children to think critically and become creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities to respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology they can combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, as well as the functions. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, it’s uses and its impacts.

Intent

• To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making things
• To enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw a model their ideas
• To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safety procedures
• To explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it
• To develop an understanding of technological processes and products, the manufacture and their contribution to our society
• To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making things
• To develop cross curricular use of design and technology in other subjects

Implementation

The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in design and technology lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in design and technology. Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products, and then evaluating them. We do this through a mixture of whole class teaching and individual or group activities. Within lessons we give children the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect. Children critically evaluate their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

Impact

Teachers assess children’s work in design and technology by making assessments as they observe the pupils working during lessons, checking use of vocabulary and pupil feedback.  Teachers record the progress that children make by assessing the children’s work against the learning objectives for their lessons. At the end of a unit of work teachers make a judgement against the National Curriculum levels of attainment. Older children are encouraged to make judgements on ways in which their work can be improved. Teachers then use the levels that they record to plan the future work of each child.