Design Technology

Intent

At Kensington Primary School we aim to provide children with a high-quality DT education that is relevant in our rapidly changing world. We want to encourage children to become independent, creative problem-solvers and think as individuals and part of a team. Our DT curriculum enables children to become risk-takers, be resourceful and reflective. In DT, children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Children will combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices. Our DT curriculum provides children with the opportunities to research, represent their ideas, explore and investigate, develop their ideas, make a product and evaluate their work. Children will be exposed to a wide range of media; through this, children will develop their skills, vocabulary and resilience. Children will have the opportunity to apply and embed the skills they have acquired across the curriculum in a purposeful context. Our DT curriculum is underpinned by the qualities and skills of the IB learner profile; this enables children to become life longer and promotes a growth mindset and an innate curiosity about the world.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught through discrete, meaningful lessons which follow National Curriculum expectations and are supported by clear skills and knowledge progression. Each year group focusses on 3 topics throughout the year and each topic will focus on a separate set of skills. The key skills we teach the children are:

Sewing and textiles
Cooking and nutrition
Electrical and mechanical components
Construction

All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. Design and Technology is taught to a high standard, where each stage of the design process is given equal weight.

As children progress through the school, they are presented with opportunities to revisit and consolidate skills alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. Design and Technology lessons provide many cross-curricular links and give pupils opportunities to utilise these skills in a relevant context.

In EYFS this looks like:

Children will enhance their ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ skills, and their confidence and enjoyment in expressing ideas through making activities, which will be woven into their daily learning opportunities and environment. They will:

Construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources
Use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately
Build and construct with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate resources and adapting their work when necessary
Select the tools and techniques they need to shape, assemble and join materials they are using

In KS1 this looks like:

Design:

Design should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
Planned through appropriate formats: drawing, templates, talking and mock-ups.

Make:

Children should be given a range of tools for their projects to choose from.
Children should use a wide range of materials and components, textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

Evaluate existing products.
Evaluate their own products against design criteria.

In KS2 this looks like:

Design:

Rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
Researched designs based on functional, appealing products with purpose.
Planned by appropriate methods; annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer aided design.

Make:

Children can select from a wider range of tools than KS1.
Children should use from and select a wider range of materials and components; textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

Evaluations should be in comparison to existing products.
Children should evaluate against a design criteria.
Children should understand how key events and individuals have helped shape design and technology globally – products are in context!

Impact

The Design and Technology curriculum will:

Enable all children to flourish regardless of their ability and to develop a passion for the subject.
Provide opportunities for all children to collaborate, learn from, understand and react to each other’s perspectives and strengths.
Give children an insight into how physical products can be created and an understanding of basic concepts used in everyday items.
Promote achievement, confidence and good behaviour.
Enable children to become resilient and accept when things don’t go right.

To ensure our DT curriculum is tailored to the needs of children, teachers conduct ongoing monitoring of children’s understanding, knowledge, and skills throughout lessons. This assessment is then used to inform future teaching. Summative assessment is conducted termly by class teachers across each year group to inform the subject leader of progress or skills and knowledge still to be embedded.

Design Technology is also monitored by the subject leader throughout the year in the form of book monitoring, lessons observations, looking at outcomes and pupil interviews to discuss their learning and understanding and establish the impact of the teaching taking place.