Design Technology
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs
Intent
Our intent is that our Design and Technology curriculum provides children with a real life context for learning. At Park End Primary, we want to allow children to aspire to be more. Through the DT curriculum, children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects. We intend to challenge our children to develop their knowledge and apply it practically to the design and creation of a variety of projects, mechanisms and food products with a real life purpose, that is relevant in our rapidly changing world. We intend that high quality DT lessons will inspire children to think independently, innovatively and develop creative, procedural and technical understanding.
At Park End Primary school our vision is to enable children to use their creativity and imagination to design and create products that are relevant to the real world.
Children will learn how to take risks and become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they will 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.
Implementation
Children will organise their knowledge, skills and understanding around the three big ideas which underpin the learning in design and technology:
- Take inspiration from design
- Design, make and evaluate
- Master practical skills
Design and technology is taught as a discrete subject, however there are opportunities for pupils to use the design and making process in some other subjects such as art. This enables the children to build upon prior learning, make connections and develop subject specific language.
Each year group teach two units of D&T across the year. Within these units the children are taught the relevant technical knowledge as laid out in the National Curriculum. Technology is taught in one-week blocks, this allows the children to develop their work more efficiently.
Planning
Each design and technology unit begins with an enquiry question which links directly to the design technology knowledge, skills and understanding to ensure that learning is progressive and continuous.
Design and technology planning is designed in a way that pupils revisit structures. Through designing and making structures, each year group will develop their technical knowledge. Each year group will design and make a product using our D&T on a page approach. This planning document ensures pupils are taught the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding.
Impact
Children will:
- 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 take part in design and make projects and 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.
If you would like to discuss our curriculum in more detail, please contact Sharon Armes, Deputy Head Teacher and Curriculum Leader.
