DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY
Curriculum Intent
Teaching DT at Mosborough supports the aims of the National Curriculum -
- 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 live in an ever-changing world, fuelled by technology and innovation. The study of design technology teaches children to think outside the box, to develop their own ideas and to respond to identified needs and opportunities, preparing them for life in the world of tomorrow. It gives children the chance to work through a creative process that is more structured and action-orientated; making or adapting existing products and systems.
‘Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.’ Steve Jobs
We aim to equip our pupils with both the creative and investigative skills they need to excel across the primary curriculum and beyond. The transferable skills they are taught in design technology marry closely with their learning in history, science, mathematics and art, and open up a wealth of opportunities for pupils to have future careers in engineering, architecture, culinary practices and product design, among others.
Children are taught how to problem solve, and will work creatively on shared projects to solve a specific brief, where they will organise, delegate and implement their collective ideas. We encourage children to ask questions and seek answers through practical exploration, thus becoming more resourceful and inquisitive.
In foundation, children experience both adult-directed activities alongside independent exploration of creative resources on a daily basis. We enable children to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques. They have opportunities to experiment with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children have opportunities to share their creations and engage with the whole school DT process of evaluating, designing, practising skills, making and evaluating their products. This allows for observations and discussions throughout the process. Making links to stories, children make and use props to use when role-playing narratives and stories. Our aim is that children are supported to develop their artistic awareness, imagination and creativity; giving them opportunities to explore a wide range of media and materials. This means our children’s skills and knowledge are ready to be built upon in KS1.
Implementation
At Mosborough, Design Technology is planned for using the DT sequence. This ensures opportunities to evaluate existing products, practise key skills, design a product to fit the criteria, make the product and then evaluate against our user, purpose and design criteria.
Each year group should teach the 3 chosen areas for their year group at some point in the year (one area per term). Teachers can make the decision whether to block the unit and complete it over a set of days or whether to spread it out over the term.
Foundation Food Sewing Mechanisms
Year 1 Food Sewing Structures
Year 2 Food Sewing Mechanisms
Year 3 Food Sewing Structures
Year 4 Food Sewing Mechanisms
Year 5 Food Sewing Structures
Year 6 Food Sewing Mechanisms
Skills are built on year after year following the skills of progression documents. There is an opportunity to revisit previous year group skills before introducing the year group skill. To manage pupils working below, at and above year group expectations, a whole class assessment is completed following each sequence of learning. These documents are passed on to the next year group to support with assessments as the child moves on.
In foundation, all 7 areas of learning are important and interconnected, therefore experiences will occur across many different opportunities offered through our curriculum. Direct adult-teaching is offered as part of our curriculum alongside an enabling environment that provides a wide range of learning experiences. Design and Technology links are made through the area of learning ‘Expressive Arts and Design - Creating with Materials’.
Through adult-directed activities children engage in focussed learning around food, sewing and mechanisms. During this process children build up their knowledge, skills and vocabulary with the support of an adult. Some adult-lead sessions focus on supporting children with particular skills in order to allow them further independence in the provision, for example, choosing the correct glue, learning how to join using string and cutting skills. When learning independently, children are encouraged to explore, guided by their interests or current stories, use a variety of resources that are available and are asked questions in order to extend their learning. Towards the spring and summer term, children are encouraged to plan their work beforehand in order to support their vision, collecting of resources and giving themselves something to evaluate against. Links to stories are made, particular when the focus is a traditional tale - this allows children to develop their language and story-telling alongside their creativity and making skills.
Impact
At the end of KS2, children should have a broad range of food, sewing, mechanism and structures knowledge and skills to take with them into KS3. With every year group teaching a food project, children’s awareness of nutrition should be excellent paired with the skills needed for cooking.
Also, as mentioned in the intent, children should leave KS2 with skills necessary to perform everyday tasks, to design and make purposeful products and evaluate and improve ideas.
