Design and Technology
Our Vision
Our children will be innovative, enterprising and resourceful learners, equipped with the skills to solve problems sustainably in the future. They will be confident in preparing food and have an understanding of the effect it has on our bodies and our planet.
Subject Leader: Donna Tully
donna.tully@forestedge.org.uk
"Design is a funny word. Some people think that design is how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s how it really works."
- Steve Jobs
Intent
We are engineers. We are architects. We are chefs.
In a fast-changing world, children need the ability to use initiative, creativity and a range of skills to solve problems. The curriculum we aim to provide in Design and Technology allows children to master the skills required to stretch their creative wings, as they make and rectify mistakes during the process. They will design and make products for a variety of real-life consumers and contexts, whilst acquiring appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding, as set out in the National Curriculum. Our Design and Technology curriculum intends to give children memorable opportunities and experiences that will foster a love of design and engineering.
Implementation
A designer/engineer/chef plans and makes different products by researching, analysing, designing, testing and making things for a particular audience in mind.
Our project-based curriculum ensures that Design and Technology is promoted across all schools during the STEM term. The curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure that pupils gain growing experience of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical circuits and food in each phase. The children will progress through the school, experiencing a range of skills and opportunities that fit with the National Curriculum progression of skills. Each STEM term project builds towards children applying Design & Technology skills and understanding in a final, authentic product. Pupils are taught about influential designers, chefs and engineers in the fields that they study.
We aim to ignite enthusiasm through our project-based approach. The children will be taught the skills required first, to give them confidence to design, make and evaluate their own work. They will be given adequate time and resources to do so. They will be encouraged to think for themselves and solve their own problems throughout their projects, so that at the end, they will feel they have achieved something to be proud of and grown in the process. We believe that by providing these opportunities, children will develop a passion for creating and making and have the confidence to use their skills in projects they undertake independently.
Design and Technology requires high level resources and we are committed to providing a well-resourced curriculum. The resources will be of good quality, allowing for a quality end result from each project. They will be treated with respect and carefully stored when not in use. This will not only allow for them to remain in good condition, but also to set an example for the children of the importance of treating resources with care and respect. Children will have experiences of working with a range of resources and tools including wood, hacksaws, textiles, sewing machines, needles, card and craft knives. Within our projects, we foster natural links with computer programming and make use of our crumble kits, which help children from Year 2 upwards bring their designs to life. In Year 6, children also have the opportunity to use computer-aided design software and 3D print their own products. Children are taught how to follow risk assessment and use resources safely.
We recognise that food and nutrition is an important part of living a healthy, happy life. Food will be taught separately throughout the year with each class having half a term of food related teaching and practical food making. Food and nutrition is essential to a happy, healthy life and we aim to develop an understanding of how and where the food they eat comes from, the benefits a healthy diet will provide, and an understanding of the impact food production and transport has on the planet.
Additional STEM clubs are offered for children in KS2, as part of our growing programme of out-of-class enrichment opportunities for pupils.
Impact
Our children will have a clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology and apply transferable skills such as collaboration, problem solving and resilience to other areas of the curriculum.
Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on further learning in Secondary School.
Formative assessment is ongoing during lessons and project review times, and misconceptions are addressed by the class teacher. Teachers assess the starting points of children at the start of a project, and build teaching upon the skill level of different groups to enable all children to make progress. Subject leaders monitor the progress and attainment of children against the progression of skills during the STEM term and identify any areas for future development of the curriculum, CPD for staff or support for particular pupils.
