Design and Technology
National Curriculum [2014]:
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.’
'Design and technology is about making things that people want and that work well. Creating these things is hugely exciting; it is an inventive, fun activity.’x James Dyson (well-known inventor)
INTENT
Design and Technology Curriculum at Cottesmore
Design and technology enables children to gain knowledge and understanding of their world. Human resourcefulness and inventiveness means that we have created a world that is filled with objects that have been designed and made - buildings, clothes, vehicles, books, toys, even the food we eat and the natural spaces we create. Addressing design and technology [starting in the Early Years] can enable children to make sense of the 'made world' in which they live. By making, changing and modifying (or designing) things for themselves, children can come not simply to a greater understanding of their world, but to a sense of agency - of being able to change and modify their environment.
Our Design and Technology curriculum makes an important contribution to our broad and balanced curriculum in addition to allowing our pupils the opportunity to further develop and apply their English and Maths skills. We know that D&T is one of the children’s favourite subjects and our bespoke curriculum meets their needs and interests through creative and motivating projects in a range of contexts.
The designing and making process is at the heart of our approach to D & T and our curriculum plan ensures children design, make and evaluate products, using the broad range of materials and components specified in the National Curriculum. These include construction materials, textiles, food, mechanical components and, in Key Stage 2, electrical components.
Our curriculum provides progression and coverage of the NC programmes of study and topics are linked to other subjects in order to provide context and purpose. Prior learning is identified and knowledge and skills develop progressively. Each topic comprises three types of activity: Investigative and Evaluative Activities, Focused Tasks and Design and Make Activities.
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IMPLEMENTATION
Design & Technology in the EYFS
Children’s experience of D&T in the EYFS includes the following elements:
Designing by talking about what they intend to do, are doing and have done.
Saying who and what their products are for.
Drawing what they have made, with some children drawing their ideas before they make.
Opportunities to make their own choices and to discuss the reasons for these.
Learning procedures for safety and hygiene.
Developing practical skills and techniques using a range of materials including food, textiles and construction materials.
Developing their knowledge and understanding in relation to mechanisms, structures, food and textiles.
Exploring and using a range of construction kits.
Asking questions about a range of existing products.
Exploring the designed and made world through the indoor and outdoor environment, and through role play.
Learning and using appropriate technical vocabulary.
Click on image for a larger version
Design and Technology topics are taught in 6 week blocks and taught by a specialist Art / DT teacher in our dedicated Art Room. Food and cooking topics are taught every year by the class teachers together with Forest School sessions and have a cross curricular focus.
All topics are based on the design, make, evaluate process and are given real purposes. Children begin by investigating the product and ask questions such as -How is it made? What is it made from? What is it used for? They then spend time completing Focus Skill Activities, practising key skills needed in their project. Once skills are fluent, they move onto designing their product, thinking about function, materials and aesthetics. After making their product, the topic finishes with an evaluation, in terms of achievement of original ideas and aims.
Topics are focused on a key strand of the subject: mechanisms, structures, food, textiles and electrical systems [KS2 only]. These strands are revisited in a spiral curriculum approach, to ensure progression (see above curriculum map).
Cottesmore Expo!
IMPACT
To assess learning in D & T, we use curriculum pathways for each year group, based on the Design and Technology Progression Framework [D&T Association].
Building a picture of what children know, understand and can do in each D&T project is essential for moving their learning forward. Each curriculum pathway identifies the key learning in designing, making, evaluating and technical knowledge and understanding that most children should develop as they undertake the project. This addresses and extends National Curriculum requirements at KS1 and KS2.
The progression framework used comprises age-related expectations across KS1 and KS2, with specific expectations for early KS2 (Y3/4) and late KS2 (Y5/6). It is based on a spiral approach to ensure progression. This means that, where appropriate, children’s learning from KS1 is revisited in early KS2 and their learning from KS1 and early KS2 is revisited in late KS2, each time using the knowledge, understanding or skills in a more sophisticated way. Teachers use formative assessment throughout lessons and adapt teaching as necessary. A more formal summative assessment is completed at the end of each topic, leading to an overall assessment at the end of the year, which is reported to parents.
An example of skills progression in Design and Technology
Below are some websites you might find useful to help your child learn DT at home:
