DT

Intent Statement

At Buckshaw Primary School we provide high quality DT education that is fully inclusive to every child. Our aim is to ensure that DT engages and inspires pupils and fosters interest and enjoyment in design and technology. We ensure that our DT curriculum enables pupils to express their own creativity and giving them the knowledge and skills to experiment, explore, plan, make and evaluate, using vocabulary specific to DT. As pupils progress through each year they will develop understanding and skill in research and designing functional products for a purpose, communication through discussion, tools and materials and their function and investigation and analysis. Pupils will also gain technical knowledge that underpins DT practise and be provided with opportunities to apply skills creatively. As part of their work with food, pupils will also develop an understanding of how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating.

At Buckshaw we believe that Design and Technology contributes to our school’s values of perseverance and creativity and promotes confidence, independent learning and resilience in risk taking and decision making and provides children with skills that can be applied across the curriculum.

Implementation

At Buckshaw Primary School the teaching and implementation of Design and Technology is based on the National Curriculum, and is delivered through skills-based approach. All teaching of DT follows the design, make and evaluate cycle, with each stage rooted in technical knowledge. Each of the stages are given equal weight. The design process should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. During the ‘making’ stage children should be provided with access to a range of tools and whilst evaluating, children should evaluate their products against a design criteria. Each of these steps should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. The teaching of DT is designed with emphasis on developing pupil’s skills and understanding each year, to ensure that we implement a progressive curriculum throughout school. DT is carefully planned for to ensure that pupil’s prior learning is considered and knowledge and skills are developed as pupils move through school.
In the Foundation Stage DT forms part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ branch of the EYFS curriculum, as well as ‘Understanding the World’. We provide children with experiences that allows them to explore, investigate, think critically, solve problems and discuss reasoning. This learning lays the foundation for Design and Technology. Children have free access to a range of media and materials in continuous provision. Within the indoor and outdoor environment children are provided with the opportunity to experience a combination of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences, independently and with adult support. Children learn to use simple tools and techniques competently and safely and select tools and techniques needed to shape, assemble and join materials they are using. Pupils will represent design ideas through drawings and construct with a purpose in mind, using a range of objects. Children should also develop an understanding of the ways in which different media can be combined to create new effects and be able to select appropriate resources and adapt work where necessary.
The knowledge, skills and understanding required for the designing and making process in DT are taught through a variety of practical and creative activities. In KS1 pupils are exposed to a range of materials and taught to use them creatively and purposefully to design and make products. KS1 also aims to promote in children a clear understanding of where food comes from. Following the ‘Design, Make, Evaluate’ cycle, pupils will:

Design:

  • design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make

  • select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
  • select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.

Evaluate

  • explore and evaluate a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.

Technical knowledge

  • build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
  • explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.

In KS2 pupils build on learning from KS1, so that they are able to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Following the ‘Design, Make, Evaluate’ cycle, pupils will:

Design

  • use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make

  • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately
  • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities

Evaluate

  • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
  • understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

Technical knowledge:

  • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
  • understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages]
  • understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
  • apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Children are introduced to important figures in design & technology and discuss their impact upon the world. Pupil’s experience educational visits to settings such as museums to engage them and extend their experience of design and technology.
During DT lessons, children are given the opportunity to collaboratively with others and as individuals. The choice of class organisation is determined by the learning task.
Design and Technology presents strong cross-curricular links and where possible this is planned for throughout other areas of the National Curriculum, such as mathematics, science, computing and art, enabling pupils to construct meaning based on their own experiences.

Impact

Formative assessment is used to support teaching and learning and inform future planning. The class teacher will also assess the children’s progress in DT based on their achievement of the learning objectives in lessons. At the end of each academic year children will meet age related expectations if they have gained the expected knowledge, understanding and skills.
In the Foundation Stage evidence of children’s work is recorded through observation and included in Learning Journeys. Coverage of skills is monitored across all key stages through highlighting skills that have been covered in each class. A record of this is kept by the subject leader. Assessments for DT are stored in a folder under the Teacher’s Shared Drive. The monitoring of DT is the responsibility of the subject leader. This is carried out through classroom observations, discussions with class teachers around the teaching and assessment of art and monitoring achievement and progress through assessment data. The subject leader will also carry out pupil voice questionnaires to gather feedback from children around the subject.

Curriculum Overview
Progression of Key Skills

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Non-Negotiables

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Relevant policies

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Buckshaw Brilliance

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