Rationale
At Sacred Heart Primary School, we believe that design and technology encourages children to become independent and creative problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Through the study of design and technology pupils learn about design methods and combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices.
“The nature of design and technology is such that it should provide opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that are challenging, relevant and motivating. This should give pupils enjoyment, satisfaction and a sense of purpose.” (DATA Primary Guidance, page 4).
Policy Principles
Our Design and Technology Policy is based upon 6 key principles.
- USER – Pupils should have clear idea of who they are designing and making products for, considering their needs, wants, values, interests and preferences. The intended users could be themselves or others, an imaginary or story based character, a client, a consumer or specific target group.
- PURPOSE – Pupils should be able to clearly communicate the purpose of the products they are designing and making. Each product they create should be designed to perform one or more defined tasks. Pupils’ products should be evaluated through use.
- FUNCTIONALITY – Pupils should design and make products that work/function effectively in order to fulfil users’ needs, wants and purposes.
- DESIGN DECISIONS – Pupils need opportunities to make their own decisions. Making design decisions allows pupils to demonstrate their creative, technical and practical expertise and draw on learning from other subjects. Through making design decisions, pupils decide on the form their product will take, how their product will work, what task or tasks it will perform and who the product will be for.
- INNOVATION – When designing and making, pupils need some scope to be original with their thinking. Projects that encourage innovation lead to a range of design ideas and products being developed and are characterised by engaging open-ended starting points for learning.
- AUTHENTICITY – Pupils should design and make products that are believable, real and meaningful to themselves and others.
Intent
At Sacred Heart, we want children to use creativity, problem solving and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems. Design technology provides opportunities for creative expression and problem-solving which are an important part of the personal development of an individual. Children have the opportunity to apply and continue to develop skills and knowledge from Mathematics, Science and other subjects within their Design Technology learning. Design Technology reflects our culture and society and so the teaching and learning of DT enables children to better understand the rapidly changing world they live in. Our Design Technology curriculum is progressive, exploratory, and inclusive, building continually upon prior learning and skills. Our aim is to provide a curriculum that will allow the children to be:
- Creative, technical designers with a positive attitude to their own work.
- Able to develop skills to critique and evaluate their own ideas or products.
- Confident in applying a range of practical skills in the areas of textiles, resistant materials and food
- Experienced in a range of design areas and explore the work of local, British and global designers throughout history.
Implementation
As a school within the Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, we teach a progressive set of skills devised by subject specialists with industry knowledge in the field of Design Technology. This ensures that progression of skills and understanding is clearly mapped from Early Years to the end of Key Stage 2. Design Technology is interwoven with other curriculum subjects, giving meaning to their learning. During the Early Years, essential building blocks of children’s design and technology capability are established. There are many opportunities for carrying out D&T-related activities in all areas of learning in the Early Years. Our Progression of Skills covers the Statutory Framework for both the Early Years and the National Curriculum for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
Our Skills progression is split into 5 strands of learning, incorporating design, making, evaluation and technical knowledge, ensuring depth of experience and progression.
These areas are:
- Design Process
- Resistant Materials
- Food and Nutrition
- Textiles
- Products and Designers
Each strand of skills progression offers example content as well as tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, ensuring that core knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon regularly. Children will know more and apply their learning over a range of contexts. Skills progression strands may be taught through a topic-based approach, a skills-based approach or a blended style to ensure context and skills development in line with wider school curriculum delivery.
Impact
When pupils leave our school, they will have an excellent attitude to learning and independent working, the ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others, the ability to carry out research, show initiative and ask questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs. Pupils will have the ability to act as responsible designers and makers, working ethically, using a range of materials carefully and working safely and hygienically. They will have thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment, and materials to use to make a product. Children will have a firm foundation of knowledge and skills on which they will be able to build as they progress into Key Stage 3.
The Foundation Stage
We encourage creative work in our Foundation Stage. We relate the creative development of the children to the objectives set out in the Foundation Stage Assessment, which underpin the curriculum planning.
The children’s learning includes art, music, dance, role-play and imaginative play. The range of experience encourages children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extends their understanding.
We provide a rich environment in which we encourage and value creativity. Children experience a wide range of activities that they respond to, using the various senses. The activities that they take part in are imaginative and enjoyable.
Key Stage 1 Objectives
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 (e.g. 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 (e.g. levers, sliders, wheels and axles) in their products.
COOKING AND NUTRITION
- Investigate where food comes from.
- To be involved with food preparation, cooking and nutrition.
Key Stage 2 Objectives
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 (e.g. 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 (e.g. gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages).
- Understand and use electrical systems in their products (e.g. series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors).
- Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
COOKING AND NUTRITION
- Investigate where food comes from
- To be involved with food preparation, cooking and nutrition.