Design and Technology
The aims of design and technology in our school are:
-To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making;
-To enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas;
-To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures;
- To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making;
Implementation
We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in design and technology lessons. Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products and then evaluating them. We do this through a mixture of whole class teaching and individual/group activities. All ideas will be treated with respect. Children critically evaluate their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.
Children will be given the opportunity to work within three main areas of development during each topic:
- Investigative, disassembly and evaluative activities: these provide opportunities for the children to explore existing products and to gain skills, knowledge and understanding which can be applied in a design and make assignment.
- Focused practical tasks: these provide opportunities to learn and practice particular skills and knowledge.
- Design and make assignments: to provide an opportunity for the children to combine their skills, knowledge and understanding to develop products that meet a real need. In all classes there are children of differing ability. We recognise the fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child.
We plan the activities in design and technology so that they build upon prior learning of the children. We give children of all abilities the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding and we also build planned progression into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
The planning will be completed through a cross curricular approach ensuring the DT has a link to the topic being studied.
Each topic will need to be reviewed, informally by the teachers and TA’s within the year group to ascertain the enjoyment had by the children, the effectiveness of developing skills and the quality of purpose.
Monitoring impact
Teachers assess work in design and technology by making observations of the children working during lessons. They record progress made against the learning objectives for that lesson. At the end of a unit of work, children undertake a review of their work that focuses upon an evaluation of the finished product and an overview of the various tasks undertaken. Teachers make an annual assessment of progress for each child, as part of the annual report to parents.
Due to the practical nature of design and technology, evidence of work undertaken by children can be in the form of teacher’s notes or as a photographic record. Samples of the design process and end product are also valuable evidence. These are collected by the coordinator using the digital platform ‘See-saw’.
The monitoring of the standards of children’s work and of the quality of teaching in design and technology is the responsibility of the design and technology subject coordinator. Their work also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of this subject, being informed about current developments in the subject, and providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. Lesson observations are also, occasionally, undertaken and the subject coordinator regularly reviews evidence of the children’s work.
