'Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.' Proverbs 22:6
Design and Technology
Intent
Design and Technology is taught to challenge the children of today for tomorrows rapidly advancing world. Embedding concepts and life skills through engaging projects for real life situations, the children are provided with learning that they remember forever.
At St Thomas’ our curriculum builds on learning through the development of skills year on year. We believe that by developing design technology we can contribute to the quality of children’s lives, both within and beyond school giving them the skills that they need to help work towards their own cultural capital.
Through our specifically designed curriculum we aim for our children to become resourceful and capable individuals who relish in taking risks. Inspiring, rigorous and practical topics are designed to allow the children to be creative and use their imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems for the children at St Nicholas and our local community.
Implementation
The Design and Technology Curriculum is delivered according to our long-term plan, which was created in response to the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum. At St Nicholas, we teach Design and Technology termly as across school from Reception to Year Six.
The Design and Technology curriculum is delivered through a unit approach linking with various other subjects to ensure that the subject crosses boundaries allowing investigations that engage children’s imagination.
We believe that children need to develop and acquire a secure skill and knowledge base in Design and Technology, which follows a clear path of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum.
Igniting a natural curiosity in Design and Technology is crucial to ensure the children are engaged in their education and will give the children the tools that allow them to flourish without barriers. Allowing children the opportunity to influence their work through reading quality books relating to Design and Technology and influential people will help develop children’s understanding and natural curiosity for the subject.
During the teaching of Design and Technology it is imperative that the children are given the opportunity to be listened to by both pupils and adults and that they are responded to respectfully in relation to their designs and finished products. Through the teaching of vocabulary relating to Design and Technology, it is our aim to ensure that children are able to communicate effectively about their products during all stages of their process.
Impact
Our children enjoy and value DT and know why they are doing it, not just how. Progress will be shown through the outcomes and the children will be able to share their work with others and talk confidently about what they know.
We ensure that 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 will design and make a range of products. A good quality finish will be expected in all designs and activities will be made appropriate to the age and ability of the child.
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.
Policy
