DT Statement

Intent:

At St Michael’s we aim to provide a high quality Design and Technology education embedded with meaningful, memorable learning experiences. We aim to give every child a broad and balanced Design and Technology curriculum which encourages children to become creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Through the study of Design and Technology children combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design and make a product.  Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product, this is a key skill which they need throughout their life. Design and Technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators. We feel that the teaching of food and nutrition is of great importance and holds great relevance in current times. For this reason, children study a food and nutrition unit every year.  By instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life. We aim to create resilient, life-long learners and global citizens.  We aim to develop confident children who achieve their potential. To achieve this, we provide exciting, practical hands on experiences that encourage curiosity and questioning.

Implementation

Our Design and Technology curriculum is built around essential knowledge, understanding and key skills. We have a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum which has been carefully designed and developed with the need of every child at the centre of what we do. We provide children opportunities to revisit areas of learning throughout their learning journey with us. This allows children to develop their knowledge and skills while building on prior knowledge. Each topic has been carefully planned and sequenced to allow for application of knowledge and skills.

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.

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.

Key skills and key knowledge for have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups. The context for the children’s work in Design and Technology is also well considered and children learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples, as well as developing their skills throughout the programme of study.

Impact
We ensure the children:
• 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 and 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.

Children learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

For additional information, please see the link below for the Primary Design and Technology Curriculum.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239041/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Design_and_technology.pdf