Design & Technology
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Steve Jobs
Intent
At Ursuline Primary School we are designers and technologists. Our children access a carefully crafted Design Technology curriculum which we intend to be inspiring, rigorous, and practical. We want our children to use their creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We intend for all children to acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. It is our aim to create strong cross-curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, and Art. We want Design Technology to help prepare our children, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life. The Design Technology curriculum promotes curiosity and a love and thirst for learning. It is ambitious and empowers our children to become independent and resilient. We want our children to remember their Design Technology lessons in our school, to cherish these memories and embrace the Design Technology opportunities they are presented with. We firmly believe that it is not just about what happens in the classroom, it is about the added value we offer to really inspire our children. We aim to enrich their time in our school with memorable, unforgettable experiences and opportunities. Such as those our beach, forest and military school provide.
Implementation
Design Technology is a crucial part of school life and learning and it is for this reason that as a school we are dedicated to the teaching and delivery of a high-quality Design Technology curriculum.
This is implemented through:
- A well thought out, whole school, yearly overview of the DT curriculum which allows for progression across year groups in all areas of DT (textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems) and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills.
- Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience.
- A range of skills being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken
- Teachers are given ownership and flexibility to plan for DT; often teaching each DT project as a block of lessons to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective on their work.
- Each project addresses the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts. The children explore and practice the practical skills involved in the topic and then design, make, evaluate and refine their final products. This approach is taken for every DT topic.
We call it our ‘tool box’
- Opportunities to revisit, develop, explore and refine ideas met in DT lessons in our beach/forest school activities such as den building and in military school building go karts.
Early Years Foundation Stage
During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have the opportunities to learn to:
- Use different media and materials to express their own ideas
- Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about form, function and purpose
- Make plans and construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources
- Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely
- Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary
- Help prepare food adhering to good health and hygiene routines.
Impact
Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on further learning in High School.
Pupil’s skills and knowledge in Design Technology are assessed ongoingly by the class teacher, throughout lessons( and a summative assessment is completed termly.)
Monitoring in design technology includes book scrutiny, pupil interviews, lesson observations and/or learning walks as part of our monitoring cycle. This informs the Design Technology coordinator of any further areas for curriculum development, pupil support and/or training requirements for staff.