Design Technology

Intent

DT should provide children with a real life context for learning. At Coatham CE Primary School, we want our children to aspire and achieve in life through creating opportunities for them in the wider world. Through the DT curriculum, we aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real life purpose.

Implementation

Each year group was designed to be cross-curricular where possible after discussion with staff. Teachers
choose which topic fits their curriculum map best, making relevant links to the whole curriculum for the year where possible. At times, topics are taught discretely while building on prior knowledge and skills. When Year 5 learned about the Romans, they investigated, designed, made and evaluated their own sandals in a textiles topic. Planning is produced as a short-term weekly overview of the topic, lesson objectives, activities and AFL are recorded. The teaching of Design Technology across the school follows the National Curriculum through the use of Design and Technology Association’s ‘Projects On A Page’ documents. The curriculum has been designed to show progression and repetition of a variety of skills, knowledge and learning in a two-year rolling program of topics. All pupils follow the clear design technology model; initially gaining inspiration from existing products to generate ideas for their own designs. They move onto practising and developing practical skills involved in the topic before they design, make, evaluate and refine their final products. Work is recorded in a variety of ways and not solely in books. Staff record examples of work or practical development of skills on 2Simple and through the use of photos. Pupils record their views on DT topics in our school Golden Books and work is often shared with parents and carers through Facebook updates. They often work in pairs or in small groups to carry out their tasks or to develop their designs and products while staff encourage them to make good use of time. Pupils are encouraged to be creative in order to produce inventive and original products (children across the school take part in the annual Primary Engineer Award competition https://www.primaryengineer.com/). Pupils carry out research and pose questions to gain a better idea of what their product should be like before using a range of tools, equipment and materials in a responsible way when making their product.

Impact

Staff use assessment in every lesson to inform their short-term planning and to provide opportunities for
intervention or support in future lessons. AFL is completed on planning sheets which is used to inform
summative assessment judgements for each topic. This information is shared with the subject leader in order to monitor and provide an insight into the quality of teaching and learning. Further monitoring includes book scrutinies, pupil voice and staff voice in staff meetings. By the end of school;
• Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to
other areas of the curriculum.
• Children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology,
demonstrating this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in
opportunities out of school.
• The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology.
• As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.