Design & Technology
Intent
Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Throughout a child’s time at Greenfield, it is our intention to ensure that each child builds and applies a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding about different aspects of Design and Technology including Cooking and Nutrition.
At Greenfield Primary School, we aim to promote an understanding of the Design and Technology process in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. We encourage the children to think innovatively, be creative problem solvers, work individually and as part of a team, drawing on the knowledge and skills of Design & Technology as well as making links with other subjects such as numeracy, science and art.
Design and Technology will enable children to develop ideas through making high quality prototypes, and eventually make products and systems, combining practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues as well as functions and industrial practices. We encourage the children to reflect on and evaluate present and past technology, its uses and its impacts, enabling all children to be discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.
Implementation
Design Technology is taught to all children throughout Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2 (Phases) through a lesson once a fortnight, using the National Curriculum. It builds on skills that the children have developed as part of Expressive Arts & Design & Physical Development areas of learning during the EYFS.
Each Phase covers one strand of D&T each term. Over a two year cycle, the children will experience all four strands – textiles, structures, mechanisms and cooking & nutrition. In key stage 2, the children will apply their scientific knowledge of electricity within a context. There is a context at the heart of each unit which gives the children a purpose to their design and technology lessons.
Each unit of work, while covering a strand of D&T, will also develop the children’s skills in designing, making and evaluating. The children will build on the technical skills from phase to phase and in some cases from year to year. This gives the children an opportunity to revisit, revisit and ultimately remember.
While many aspects of Design & Technology are practical in nature, the journey of each unit will be captured in a book in various representations including photographs, design sketches and evaluations.
Impact
The Design & Technology curriculum will be reviewed regularly throughout the year by scrutinising planning and looking at children’s work as part of a book trawl cycle. Children will have an opportunity to discuss their work through pupil conferencing. Throughout the year, staff complete a skills ladders check list; this supports staff in planning for skills from term to term but also gives the co-ordinator an overview of the children’s skills at the end of the academic year – changes to the curriculum may be made as a result of this.
Phase staff review each topic termly, making note of what went well, what needs improving and any resource implications for the future.
Subject co-ordinators feedback to all teaching staff termly making them aware of any changes in the subject.
For more information, please click here to see the National Curriculum document