Design and Technology
Executive Summary
Design and Technology Vision
Our vision is for all pupils to be engaged and inspired by design and technology. We want our pupils to become creative, resourceful, innovative and enterprising thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation.
Our vision is for pupils to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality products both now and in the future. We want our pupils to understand the principles of nutrition and to learn how to cook.
Through our curriculum, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to aspire to contribute to future design advancements.
We want pupils to leave St Michael’s School equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.
(Link to Curriculum Driver 2 – problem solving and enquiry and Curriculum Driver 4 Wider world).
The vision is achieved by:
- A high quality design and technology curriculum
- A clear programme of study which teaches skills progressively
- Providing opportunities for pupils to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- Building and applying a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
- Providing opportunities for pupils to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and work of others.
- Teaching the principles of nutrition and how to cook.
Implementation of the Design and Technology Vision
We have chosen to follow the Kapow Design and Technology scheme of work because it offers a clear programme of study which meets our vision and enables pupils to meet the National Curriculum end of key stage attainment targets. The scheme gives pupils the opportunity to make their own creative choices and decisions, so that their design outcomes, whilst still being knowledge-rich, are unique to the pupil and personal.
The scheme of work organizes the Design and Technology attainment targets under five strands, with a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these five strands across each year group:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
- Cooking and Nutrition
Pupils develop their skills in six key areas:
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and Nutrition (Food)
- Electrical systems (KS2)
- Digital World (KS2)
Each area follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. The scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning. This is in line with all other St Michael’s subjects.
A wide range of teaching videos supports non-specialist Design and Technology teachers to improve their subject knowledge and therefore teach with greater confidence and impact on pupil outcomes.
Foundation Stage pupils are provided with opportunities to access design and technology through play on a daily basis. Some skills will be taught directly whilst others will be encouraged through play.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, all classes have a scheduled Design and Technology lesson each week every other half term (alternated with Art and Design). Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks.
Measuring the Impact of the Design and Technology Vision and Implementation
Expected impact
Pupils will:
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources
- Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products
- Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios
- Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key process, food groups and cooking equipment
- Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions and events in history and of today that impact our world
- Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues
- Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Design and Technology
Assessment
The curriculum is designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. These discussions help children to talk about their own learning journey and have an understanding of how to improve. This links closely with the St Michael’s Curriculum Driver 2 ‘Learning skills’: Aspiration and attitude. Observations of pupil progress within each lesson are used to plan subsequent teaching, including targeted support and opportunities for working at greater depth. Knowledge organisers are used in each unit to support assessment. Summative assessments are made twice each year (February and June).
Monitoring
Subject leader monitors provision in Design and Technology through:
- observations and learning walks
- teacher/subject leader discussions
- pupil voice activities
- an annual 'deep dive' in Design and Technology with the senior leadership team
Monitoring activities and an analysis of attainment and progress are used to formulate the subject leader action plan which is updated twice each year.
Enrichment
Each class has a 6 week unit of Design and Technology in our Forest School twice each year.
Press the link below to visit our Forest School page