Design Technology

Through the Design Technology Policy, the school will promote and teach the values we learn based on the example of the Christian faith:

• Forgiveness
• Respect for self and others
• Reconciliation and redemption
• Truth and honesty
• Trust and fairness
• Tolerance and compassion
• Self-discipline
• Respect for property and the environment
• Politeness

Such values, in turn, promote not only the Christian ethos and aims of Middleforth Church of England Primary School, but assist in the preparation of the children for the responsibilities and duties of adult life.

Vision

As a caring, Christian community, we aspire to ‘let our light shine’. We will open up the world to celebrate God’s wonderful creation and foster a sense of awe and wonder.

We will nurture our God given talents to ensure that everyone reaches their full potential academically, socially and spiritually.

‘Let your light shine Matthew 5.16’

Intent

At Middleforth Primary School we use Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme of work. This aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through this scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

Aims

Our school curriculum for Design Technology 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
• 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
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

At Middleforth, we strive to provide a program of learning opportunities for all pupils to gain the basic knowledge and understanding, which underpin design and technology. In addition, we endeavour to provide continuity and progression for all pupils throughout the curriculum as they move through the school. We aim to ensure health and safety of all pupils during design and technology activities.

Implementation

The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition* has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under five subheadings or strands:

• Design
• Make
• Evaluate
• Technical knowledge
• Cooking and nutrition

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

Assessment

Teachers assess internally based on the Design Technology Progressions of Skills document which is then reported and recorded at the end of each academic year. These will be shared with the SLT team during Pupil Progress meetings. At all times, the marking of work be in line with the school marking policy and will respect pupil’s achievements, give positive feedback and avoid defacing or spoiling the products of their work. Effective feedback gives pupils guidance about how they might improve the quality of their products in design and technology.

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The statutory Early Years Foundation Stage, (EYFS), framework for England clearly identifies the role of design and technology in young children’s learning and the subject is specifically named in the area of learning ‘Expressive arts and design’. The early learning goals for expressive arts and design indicate what children should know, understand and be able to do by the end of the reception year. A significant proportion of this learning is delivered through high quality D&T experiences and activities, enabling children to:

• safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques
• experiment with colour, design, texture, form and function
• use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. D&T also makes an important contribution to children’s learning across the remaining six areas of the EYFS framework:
• Understanding the World
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language.
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Many D&T experiences in the EYFS take place during child-initiated learning. At this early stage talking with the children about their activities is a valuable way to take the children’s thinking and learning further.

Key stage 1

Pupils will be taught:

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology
• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
• select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics
• explore and evaluate a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
• explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products
• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
• understand where food comes from.

 Key stage 2

Design

• Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer aided design

Make

• Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks
• 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

Technical Knowledge

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

Cooking and Nutrition

• Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
• Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
• Understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
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Equal opportunities & Inclusion

At our Middleforth, we teach Design Technology to all children, whatever their ability and individual needs. We aim to provide suitable learning regardless of gender, ethnicity or home background. Through our DT teaching, we provide opportunities that enable all children to reach their full potential. As part of our vision to enable each child to reach their full potential, learning opportunities are adapted to meet the needs of our pupils as individuals.

Use of ICT

Opportunities to use ICT to support teaching and learning in DT will be planned for and used as appropriate.

Governing Body

Reports are made to the governors on the progress of DT throughout the school.

Impact

As a school, we keep a record of the children’s work in their D&T books which records the processes the children have gone through and the end results, with some examples of written work and photographs of their creations. The differentiation, support and challenge received by pupils is therefore evident throughout their time in each Key Stage. Design and Technology is also monitored through class observations and pupil interviews, to ensure that children enjoy their activities and learning whilst making good progress.

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