Design and Technology

Intent

Design and Technology is taught as a discrete subject and on occasion thematically where the whole school is involved in a D&T event (e.g. 2024 D&T week linked to the Olympics and sustainability.)

At St Francis de Sales, we believe that Design and Technology is valuable to the well-being of all children, developing opportunities for future careers and to solving issues in our global society. Through the teaching of Design and Technology, we intend to introduce children to risk-taking, taking initiative, originality and resourcefulness in order to grow into enterprising individuals. Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. In this way, children learning Design and Technology will obtain invaluable life skills in communication, creativity, problem solving, planning and evaluating.

Design and Technology has been mapped to ensure clear progression throughout the whole school. Each topic links to previous learning of Design and Technology skills. As children move up to the next year group, they will build on their knowledge of the same key skills; design, make, evaluate and technical knowledge.
Our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to cover all of the knowledge and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum.

Our intent is to consistently motivate children by exposing them to the bigger picture and purpose of Design and Technology within our global society. In this way, we believe children will eventually be more encouraged to independently discover aims for a project and action them in this way.

Children will be taught to:
• Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise.
• Build and apply knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high- quality prototypes and products.
• Critique, evaluate and test ideas and products.
• Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Children with special educational needs are identified by class teachers and the Inclusion Manager / SENDCO will identify, assess and make provision for SEN/D. Additional interventions will be put in place if required. A small minority of children will be issued with an Educational Health Care Plan.

Children are taught about the contributions of both men and women in the field of technology. e.g. Mary Anning & Charles Darwin. Both boys and girls are encouraged to see themselves as scientists now and in the future.

At St. Francis De Sales, Design and Technology lends itself to our mission statement where we encourage children to grow into caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to the wider community by understanding the impact the subject us on our daily lives and wider world.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught in blocks of 1 week per term- autumn, spring and summer terms. This allows children to see clear progression and completion of a particular project throughout the week.
The Design and Technology curriculum is designed to link to the curriculum topics of each year group. Due to how broad a subject Design and Technology is, lessons will be linked to and children will apply:

• Mathematics
• Science
• Engineering
• Computing
• Art

Within Design and Technology children will be taught to:

• Design
• Make
• Evaluate
• Develop technical knowledge

Children will be exposed to activities, which require them to use:

• Problem solving
• Creativity
• Risk-taking

Project weeks

Throughout the year there will be key educational events such as STEAM week and Art Projects, which will require children to be exposed to, learn and apply Design and Technology skills. We believe through this cross-curricular learning in mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art, children will have more opportunity to embed the skills needed in Design and Technology. It therefore grows children’s knowledge of food, textiles and material technology, graphics and electronic products.

Cultural Capital

As the Art and Design curriculum exposes children to a range of key artists, the school’s Design and Technology curriculum will expose children to various designers who promote awareness of environmental issues.
Design and Technology week 2024 raised awareness of sustainability through the theme of the Olympic games. Children worked towards the purpose of creating something purposeful, but also sustainable.

Designers will be invited to speak to children throughout the year about their jobs relating to the industry to inspire, but also to support children’s understanding of the bigger picture of the subject. e.g. Graphic Designers presenting an assembly on the design process.

Recording of Design and Technology

Children’s design work of DT will be recorded in a number of ways considering the various approaches to working in this subject.
• Children are encouraged to draw, sketch and scribe ideas in their design exercise book throughout the project work.
• Children are encouraged to log any new DT vocabulary, subject, stage and skill the lesson focuses in their books.
• Anything 3D will be showcased either in the classroom or as an exhibition in school.
• Photographs of each stage of DT process may be kept in the exercise books or displayed.

Lessons

In order for lessons to be consistent across the school, close learning gaps and to ensure a high standard of DT curriculum teaching, lessons will follow a similar plan to other lessons across the curriculum, based on Barak Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. Principally, teachers will expose children to the brief, discuss the subject(s), stage and skill in small steps. Before the task is modelled, children are guided through the expectations and then set to work independently or in groups. In this way, pupils will embed key concepts in their long-term memory and apply them fluently as they move up in the school.

Teachers should plan in advance to ensure enough resources, equipment and space is available for children to work on the particular task. For example, it might be necessary to move tables to form a workbench style. 

Impact

Assessment of Design and Technology

In order to assess the children’s knowledge in DT, staff will informally measure children’s work against Age Related Expectations (ARE) – ensuring all pupils have the opportunity to develop the appropriate skills and knowledge expected of them.

Teachers should do a Health and Safety check before each practical lesson, using the checklist saved in the DT curriculum folder. Teachers should always adhere to the school’s Health and Safety Policy. Children may do their own health and safety check (template saved in DT folder) considering this is part of Design and Technology learning.

Through exposing children to a high-quality Design and Technology curriculum we believe children have more opportunity to become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. The school is conscious that the exposure of a rich Design and Technology curriculum could lead some of society’s most valued professions, such as designer, tailor, architect, engineer, chef, carpenter etc.
Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, we believe children develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.