Design and Technology

Design and Technology is an inspiring, creative and practical subject. At Glebe we believe that every pupil should have the opportunity to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently. Pupils 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.

Article 28 – Every child has the right to a good quality education.

Article 29 – Education should help children to develop their talents and abilities.

Subject Co-ordinator

P Man

Link Governor

Mr Dipesh Parekh, Mr Aman Sawhney

Progression Document

cusp design and technology long term sequence.pdf

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Curriculum Intent

Design and Technology is purposefully built around the principles of evidence-led practice. This is to ensure that pupils are equipped to successfully think, work and communicate like a designer. Unapologetically ambitious, our curriculum focuses on excellence in this subject through a range of disciplines and by referencing outstanding practitioners in this field.

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. The intention of the Design and Technology curriculum at Glebe Primary School is to ensure that our pupils are have the opportunity to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently. Pupils 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.

At Glebe children have continuous opportunities to experiment with inspiring and accessible media and tools with the freedom to make a mess and mix materials. Pupils are encouraged to use space to create individually and collaboratively with opportunities to make choices

Pupil are supported to develop mastery in a range of skills, techniques and safety rules. The vocabulary of feelings and opportunities to take part in activities that allow them to express their own feelings and emotions with opportunities to talk about and evaluate their own achievement.

Curriculum Implementation

The Design and Technology curriculum is organised into blocks with each block covering a particular set of disciplines, including food and nutrition, mechanisms, structures, systems, electrical systems, understanding materials and textiles.

Vertical progression in each discipline has been deliberately woven into the fabric of the curriculum so that pupils revisit key disciplines throughout their Primary journey at increasing degrees of challenge and complexity. In addition to the core knowledge required to be successful within each discipline, the curriculum outlines key aspects of development in the Working as a Designer section.

Each module will focus on promoting different aspects of these competencies. This will support teachers in understanding pupils’ progress as designers more broadly, as well as how successfully they are acquiring the taught knowledge and skills.

Assessment of pupils:

The assessment of pupils is formative and is based on pupil outcomes and questioning from each lesson. The following can be used to assess pupils’ knowledge and application of skills and techniques as well as their understanding and use of relevant vocabulary. •

Expectations for each block are made explicit on slide one, e.g. At the end of this block pupils will know how to waterproof cotton fabric and which fabrics are both functional and hardwearing.

The Point of reflection section specifies the expected outcomes for each lesson.

The Questions for assessment section in each block provides specific questions to be used with pupils to elicit their level of understanding of tools, techniques and effects, e.g. How have the properties of the cotton changed? Is the cotton now more or less functional?

The Oracy and Vocabulary tasks provide ample opportunities for teachers to evaluate pupils’ ability to: - use the language of design and technology effectively; - explain techniques, skills and processes; - evaluate their own and others’ work.

The vocabulary quiz provides an opportunity for teachers to assess pupils’ deeper understanding and application of the technical vocabulary covered in the block.

The exemplifications demonstrate the expected standard against which teachers can assess pupils’ work. The best form of assessment in design and technology is at the point of delivery, while pupils are working. This helps us to understand pupils’ development as designers, rather than their ability to produce a prescribed end outcome. By encouraging pupils to articulate their thinking and reflections, we can understand which aspects of design and technology may require additional teaching and reshape teaching to support this.

EYFS

The main area covering Design & Technology in the Development Matters framework.

Exploring and using media and materials- children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
D&T was named in the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’area of learning alongside art, music, movement, dance and role-play. The early learning goals for Expressive Arts and Design indicate what children should know, understand and be able to do by the end of the reception year.

Timetable

In the EYFS, Design and Technology is taught through the Early Learning Goals and is linked to objectives both in the primary and specific areas within the EYFS Development Matters framework.

In KS1 and KS2, Design and Technology is taught in a timetabled lesson according to the frequency schedule.

Glebe subjects are structured around a 36-week year.

Resources

Art and Design Technology room.
Pupils have access to a range of resources and materials to support their learning in Design and Technology.
Extensive use is made of a variety of on-line resources.

Curriculum Impact

Key Design & Technology skills, concepts and knowledge are mapped through statements describing the expectations for pupils in each Year group. Teachers use the National Curriculum to regularly assess pupils’ learning against specific criteria. They are able to clearly identify end points (KS1/KS2) as well as the progression of skills as pupils move up through the year groups.

Teachers assess against Learning Intentions in individual lessons which are derived from the medium-term plans. Each lesson and series of lessons aims to incorporate the key skills and cover specified knowledge.

Progression in pupils’ design & technology skills and understanding is further assessed by asking pupils in each year group to evaluate their learning and the end of each unit. As well as assessing learning through each topic, the last lesson in each Medium-Term Plan is focused on developing the pupil’s evaluative skills, so providing evidence of progression.

The Subject Leader meets with SLT on a termly basis to analyse Design & Technology data and identify gaps and areas for development at a whole school, key stage, year group and individual class level. The Subject Leader will then address these areas to ensure the consistency and coherence of assessment in the subject (this may involve CPD, moderation or tailored support).

Regular scrutiny of pupil’s work, teachers’ marking and feedback, lesson observations, learning walks, pupil conferencing, moderation opportunities are all carried out by members of the Leadership team.

Facilities

Design Technology is taught weekly in our specialist Art and Design Technology Room. Our curriculum is designed to provide pupils with the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

We also have a Food Technology room that pupils use as part of Design Technology units. This allows pupils to learn the skills involved in food storage, handling, preparing, cooking and the safe use of equipment. During their time at Glebe pupils will learn about a range of different cuisines and styles of cooking. This aspect of our curriculum reinforces our whole school healthy living agenda.

Lessons

Design and Technology allows for pupils to acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. As well as having Design and Technology lessons, through the year pupils will take part in many cross- curricular activities involving Design and Technology.