Design and technology 2024 - 2025

Design and Technology is about providing opportunities for children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others' needs.

Intent

At St Stephen's, our intent is to build a Design Technology curriculum which is inspiring, rigorous, and practical. We want our children to use 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 our Design Technology curriculum to be diverse to complement our school values by providing children with opportunities to use their disciplinary and substantive knowledge during enrichment days. We intend for all children to acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. We want Design and Technology to prepare our children, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life. We want our children to aspire to careers within STEM by providing cross curricular opportunities and a broad and balanced curriculum using Design Technology within.

Implement

Design and 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 and 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)
• Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience
• A range of disciplinary knowledge being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken
• Teachers being given ownership and flexibility to plan for Design and Technology; often teaching DT as a block of lessons to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective on their work.
• Each project from Year 1 to Year 6 addressing the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts.

EYFS

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 disciplinary knowledge to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely
• Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary
• Cook and prepare food adhering to good health and hygiene routines

Impact

Pupils at St Stephen's will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities along with enrichment days 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 disciplinary and substantive knowledge to see them equipped to take on further learning in High School. At St. Stephen’s we provide a clear progression of disciplinary and substantive knowledge that builds upon what has been taught before. There are clear, agreed expectations for end of year and key stage points. Assessment for learning and live marking in lessons allows for immediate feedback and improvement in line with our school marking policy. Learning ladders are used to inform assessment and include pupil self-review. Impact is measured through teacher assessment based on work produced over time. End of unit expectations are listed at the end of each unit of work and the application of skills is expected across the curriculum.

Equality and diversity

St Stephen's is committed to supporting the Equality Act of 2010 and, as such, believes that all pupils should be exposed to curriculum content and resources which reflect modern Britain. Pupils are enabled to see themselves and others within the resources used and acquire knowledge and skills, understanding that curriculum content is relevant and has purpose for them. We continue to purchase resources so that all pupils, equally, are encouraged to make best progress possible.

Access and inclusion

Every child has access to the DT curriculum and the Special Education Needs and EAL co-ordinators assist staff to ensure that children have the necessary resources to learn their next steps in learning. A variety of resources such as additional support staff, laptops, ipads, overlays, coloured paper and enlarged text support individuals to access learning. We endeavour to ensure that all children make the necessary progress to succeed in their acquisition of DT knowledge and skills.

Deepening spirituality

Teachers use a variety of resources including audio visual, texts, visits and visitors to enable pupils to understand the world they live in and to reflect on their own identity as well as that of others. A sense of awe and wonder is developed through study of the subject and a celebration for that which enriches the world for all. We encourage our pupils to believe that they can change the world for the better after continuing to acquire knowledge from this curriculum subject.

Assessment

Assessment for learning is continuous throughout the planning, teaching and learning cycle.
Assessment is supported by use of the following strategies:
- Observing children at work, individually, in pairs, in a group and in class during whole class teaching.
- Using differentiated, open-ended questions that require children to explain and unpick their understanding.
- Book moderation and monitoring of outcomes of work, to evaluate the range and balance of work and to ensure that tasks meet the needs of different learners (with the acquisition of the pre-identified key knowledge of each topic and skills being evidenced through the outcomes).
- Child and teacher review of both the agreed success criteria at the end of each unit, to inform focused consolidation where this is necessary.

- Practical work is recorded on Seesaw.

Recommended Books

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Careers in Design and Technology

Do you enjoy Design and Technology and wonder what types of career you could have linked to this? There are many exciting careers to choose from.

Theme Park designer, furniture designer, Architect, lego designer, video game designer and many more. Check out this website to find out more. https://www.firstcareers.co.uk/subjects/design-technology/page/2/