Design & Technology

Intent

At Marsh Hill Primary School, we believe that Design and Technology gives pupils the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. We feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work. Pupils in EYFS are encouraged to be a "Dynamic Designer" and "Talented Tool User" through planned adult led activities and child initiated activites in the continuous provision.

The national curriculum for design and 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

We intend for children to:

gain the design and technology skills that they need to further their education at secondary school.
enjoy design and technology lessons and use it to support learning in other subjects.
be inspired and motivated to pursue a career in design and technology. E.g. engineering or costume design.
be able to talk about influential chefs, architects and designers. Both current and in the past.

Implementation

At Marsh Hill Primary, Design and Technology contributes to cross-curricular programmes and to various events and activities during the school year. These opportunities support learning in design and technology. However, we understand and value the importance of a well-planned scheme of work where the knowledge, skills and understanding that are necessary to make appropriate progress in the subject are progressive, planned and developed systematically. As a school, we understand that pupils require sufficient time to develop mastery of skills and opportunities to create learning outcomes.

The teaching and implementation of the Design and Technology Curriculum at Marsh Hill Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and has a thematic approach. We ensure that design and technology is given the same importance as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences. The Design and Technology curriculum is planned carefully to ensure that we equip pupils with the knowledge and skills that they will need to succeed in life.

During the course of the academic year, each year group completes the equivalent of three half terms of Design and Technology. The focus is either textiles, mechanisms or food and nutrition. This is detailed in our long term plan and, where possible, links to the current topic being taught. Skills in textiles, mechanisms and food and nutrition build upon the previous year’s learning. In each unit of work, children develop their skills which build up to produce a final piece. Units of work are sequenced across the school to ensure that new knowledge and skills build upon previous learning.

The key concepts in design and technology, as recommended by the Design and Technology Association, that we plan a progression for are as follows:

Design (Understanding contexts, users and purposes and Generating, developing, modelling and communicating ideas)
Making (planning and practical skills and techniques)
Evaluate (own ideas and products, existing products and key events and individuals)
Technical Knowledge (Making products work)
Cooking and Nutrition (where food comes from, food preparation, cooking and nutrition)

At Marsh Hill Primary School children learn to produce practical solutions to real problems. Children develop technical understanding and making skills, learn about design methods and investigate their environment and the materials around them. We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in design technology lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in design and technology, and teachers encourage children to use their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products and evaluating them. We use a balance of whole class teaching and individual or group activities, giving children opportunity to both work on their own and to collaborate with others.

Children are encouraged to listen to the ideas of others, and treat them with respect, to critically evaluate existing products, both their own work and those of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

Knowledge and Understanding

At Marsh Hill Primary School all children are encouraged to:

Generate ideas through discussion and experimentation
Extend knowledge and understanding of a wide range of materials, including construction kits, textiles, food, wood, plastic, metals and reclaimed/junk materials.
Work within groups and as individuals.
Make use of drawings and models to communicate their ideas.
Evaluate their work and identify strengths and weaknesses in a positive way.
Experiment with simple components, mechanisms and structures.
Learn about health and safety aspects when working with a variety of materials and tools.
Consider risk to themselves and to others and build up a knowledge and understanding of the dangers inherent in certain products and tools.
Experience design technology through off-site visits, where practicable, in order to see technology used in a real environment

Knowledge and Skills

At Marsh Hill Primary School children learn how to draw on a developing repertoire of skills and knowledge, which will include:

Learning how to work independently and collaboratively
Developing, planning and communicating ideas
Working with tools, equipment, materials and components to make quality products
Evaluating processes and products
Developing knowledge and understanding of materials and components
Learning the importance of health and safety

Impact

Our Design and Technology curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on the progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary in each unit of work. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods: Assessing children’s understanding of the vocabulary taught in a unit of work. Expectation grids are completing throughout the unit. This enables children to self-assess against the expectations for the unit and give them the next steps in their learning. Teachers use this when forming a judgement at the end of the year. Photographs and videos of the children’s practical learning. Talking to the pupils about their learning (pupil voice). Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their pupils’ work against given criteria. Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum to SLT and Governors. Marking grids are used in design and technology lessons. Success criteria for the lesson are shared with the children then teachers assess whether the child is working towards it or at it. This informs their assessments.

Documents:

Design and Technology Long Term Plan for Year 1 to Year 6

Progression of Skills in Design and Technology for EYFS to Year 6