Curriculum Overview and Policy

Download: D&T – Curriculum Overview 2022-2023 [PDF]

Download: D&T – Progression of Skills Overview 2022-2023 [PDF]

Download: D&T Policy 2022-2023 [PDF]

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D&T – Intent

At St. Oswald’s, it is our intent that Design Technology is an inspiring, practical, meaningful and memorable 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. One project will be taught each term as part of a specially allocated DT week where year groups will plan and deliver sessions to develop children’s ability to investigate, analyse, design, make and evaluate as part of a whole process. These projects will include one topic related to food and will ensure that the two strands Design and Making, and Food and Nutrition are delivered effectively. Topics are cross-curricular and support a broad range of subject knowledge, drawing on maths, science, computing and art. There will also be an additional cooking lesson which will involve the children practising the cooking skills identified in the St. Oswald’s key skills assessment criteria.

Our school aims to provide opportunities for children to develop their design capabilities. We recognise that children are living in a highly developed technological world and we will ensure that Design Technology provides the children with the opportunity to develop and use a range of skills that will prepare them for a constantly changing society, increasingly dependent on technology. We will bring in outside agencies such as MGL, to deliver specific sessions tailored towards the skills and knowledge to be addressed across particular topics e.g. year 5 when using Computer Aided Design to design a small Mayan Village during the Summer Term and in Year 3 and 6, with the use of programmable computer systems such as Crumble.

Within Design Technology children will learn and build on a range of practical and technical skills (see key skills assessment criteria). We will teach according to the National Curriculum design, make and evaluate cycle and through this, children acquire a broad range of technical knowledge and vocabulary. Designing should be through appropriate formats i.e. annotated sketches, patterns/templates, communicating ideas verbally and prototypes/’mock-ups’. In some cases, designs will be computer aided. When children are making, they will be given a wide range of tools, materials and components including textiles, construction equipment and ingredients to enable them to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills (i.e. cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) in order to make high-quality prototypes and products for a range of users. When evaluating, children at St. Oswald’s will be able to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products as well as the work of others. They will investigate and analyse a range of existing products to understand how individuals and key events have shaped design and technology globally. In addition, they will learn to evaluate their work against their own design criteria and consider the views of others in order to improve their work. Evidence of this work should show clear progression across the Key Stages and will be found in sketch books, photographs and displays around school.

Assessment of children’s learning in Design Technology takes the form of ongoing monitoring of children’s understanding, knowledge and skills using key questioning skills built into lessons by the class teacher. Child-led assessment such as success criteria and evaluation grids are also used to inform the differentiation, support and challenge required by the children. Summative assessment is conducted termly by class teachers across each year group and is aimed at targeting next steps in learning as well as informing the subject leader of progress and skills/knowledge still to be embedded. This is recorded on SIMS and tells us whether each individual child is below expected, at expected or above expected attainment for their age. Design Technology is also monitored by the subject leader, Miss G Finnigan throughout the year in the form of collection of evidence (photos), book monitoring, looking at outcomes measured against age-based progression and pupil interviews to discuss their learning. This tangible evidence aids understanding and establishes the impact of the teaching taking place.

By the time children leave Year 6, we want them to have had experience of food tech, textiles, design and construction enabling them to confidently perform everyday tasks, applying their knowledge, understanding and an increased level of skills as they progress through the school. They will be on the way to becoming risk takers and innovators and will have used a range of tools, resources and materials to create effectively constructed and aesthetically pleasing results. This, along with a strong focus on the importance of evaluation, will allow children to adapt and improve their work, providing them with not only a sense of achievement but a strong foundation for the next step of their learning and a key skill for life.