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Design & Technology

Intent - we are creating designers, builders, carpenters etc by...

We believe that Design and Technology (DT) is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils 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.'

Design and technology (DT) prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It allows children to explore materials and concepts from their environment in practical situations. DT allows children to record their findings in more artistic ways such as charts, designs and plans. DT has strong cross-curricular links with many other subjects especially Science, mathematics and ICT. Children are increasingly aware of sustainability issues and the importance of re-using materials.

Aims

  • To ensure that all pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
  • To ensure that all pupils build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
  • To ensure that all pupils critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
  • To ensure that all pupils understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

Implementation - this is how we teach Design & Technology

Children have the opportunity to take part in a variety of creative and practical activities throughout the year. They are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Pupils design for a purpose and create authentic products for named users. Children are taught how to create new and innovative products progressively by carrying out the following types of activities:

  • Investigative and Evaluative Activities – learn about existing products, analyse existing products, pupils ask questions about products: user, purpose, functionality, design decision, innovation and authenticity.
  • Focussed Tasks – teaching activities to equip pupils with skills to design and make their products, opportunities to create mock-ups with time provided to try things out with different materials.
  • Design, Make and Evaluate – creating the functional products with the user and the purpose in mind.

When designing and making, children are taught to:

Design

  • Research existing products to generate a design brief which will inform creative ideas.
  • Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make

  • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) accurately
  • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities

Evaluate

  • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
  • understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

Use technical knowledge

  • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
  • understand and use mechanical systems in their products
  • understand and use electrical systems in their products
  • apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products

The development of knowledge and skills has been mapped across the school to ensure progression is made across all year groups. Where possible, strong cross-curricular links are made between design and technology and other core and foundation subjects. This allows pupils to produce products with relevant users and a clear purpose in mind. Design and technology lessons are often taught as a block so that children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work.

Assessment of Design and Technology is carried out through pupil interviews, observations and book scrutiny.

Impact - this is what the children have learnt - the knowledge and skills developed in D&T

At Wolsey House we ensure that children are given quality teaching and the necessary tools to develop the practical, technical and creative skills needed to perform everyday tasks confidently. Through a wide range of hands on activities, pupils build up a skillset which enables them to participate successfully in an ever changing, technological world. Pupils at Wolsey House develop their knowledge and skills to enable them to design and make prototypes and finished products for a variety of appropriate users, skills which have practical, everyday use and will be called upon throughout their lives. Pupils become much more adept at critiquing and evaluating their own work and the work of others. They are provided opportunities to develop and use the technological vocabulary needed to articulate their ideas clearly. A core component of DT at Wolsey House is cooking, alongside learning about nutrition and how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Pupils are taught to understand and apply the principles of nutrition. They learn valuable skills such as food preparation, simple cooking techniques and the use of recipes to inform food preparation and cooking. They have opportunities to design and make a range of products with a specified user in mind. Each food product is produced with age appropriateness in mind, building progressively on skills such as peeling, chopping etc. Learning through DT at Wolsey House contributes to developing pupil resilience. Children are given the opportunity to take risks and think creatively using innovation as a central theme for their work. Children become good team players, more adept at communicating their ideas and able to identify and work to their strengths in a group situation. Pupils begin to see how design and creativity are crucial to the world we live in and to the world we will continue to develop. They develop their understanding of the impact that design and technology has on daily life and how their own contributions to this subject area have the possibility to enhance it even further.