Design & Technology

 OUR VISION FOR THIS SUBJECT

At Cheswick Green Primary School, we aspire for our Design and Technology curriculum to be an inspiring, rigorous and practical experience for our pupils. Using creativity and imagination, our pupils design, make and evaluate their products considering the needs of themselves and others.

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM INTENT

Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Cheswick Green, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. The children are given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. 

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

Following the National Curriculum, our Design and Technology curriculum develops the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. We do this through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual / group activities. Modelling key vocabulary is very important. When designing and making, the children are taught to:

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 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, as well as chopping and slicing) accurately.
• select from and use a wider range of materials, ingredients and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties, aesthetic qualities and, where appropriate, taste. Working together to be the best that we can be

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. • understand and use electrical systems in their products.
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
• understand some of the ways that food can be processed and the effect of different cooking practices (including baking and grilling).

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM IMPACT

At Cheswick Green Primary, our children will:

• test, critique and evaluate their products and ideas as well as those of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

• develop a good knowledge, understanding and appreciation of a range of materials and how they have multi-purpose uses.
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make products for a wide range of users.
• have a clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum.

INCLUSION

Inclusion is about ensuring every child succeeds and no barrier is placed on their learning. Our inclusive practice in Design and Technology enables all children to achieve their best possible standard; whatever their ability, and irrespective of gender, ethnic, social or cultural background, home language or any other aspect that could affect their participation in, or progress in their learning.

We recognise that in all classes, children have a wide range of design and technology ability, and so we seek to provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this in a variety of ways:

• setting tasks which are open-ended and can have a variety of responses;
• setting tasks of increasing difficulty;
• scaffolding learning so that everyone achieves;
• providing resources of different complexity, depending on the ability of the child;
• using classroom assistants to support the work of individuals or groups of children.

EYFS

Through Expressive Arts, children are encouraged to construct and create purposefully selecting tools and techniques needed to shape, assemble and join materials they are using. Children learn through first-hand experiences which involve putting their ideas into practice to develop an awareness and understanding of the possibilities and limitations of different materials. Practitioners encourage children to explore, observe, solve problems, think critically, make decisions and talk about why they have made their decisions as they design and create. Children’s natural creativity is fostered and opportunities for investigation, designing and making are offered daily within our provision, which enables children to learn a great deal about their world.