Design Technology Intent Statement
The National Curriculum for Design Technology (DT) aims to ensure that all pupils:
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 range of users
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
At Slimbridge Primary School the intention is to provide children with a DT education that is relevant in our rapidly changing world. Children will have the opportunity to become problem solvers who can work creatively on a shared project.
Our objective is to inspire children to think independently, innovatively and develop creative, procedural and technical understanding.
We are committed to provide children with opportunities to research, represent their ideas, explore and investigate, develop their ideas, make a product and evaluate their work. Children will be exposed to a wide range of media including textiles, food and woodwork; through this, children will develop their skills, vocabulary and resilience. They will explore the subject materials and skills as individuals and in small groups to develop communication skills and teamwork.
Design Technology Implementation Statement
The DT curriculum ensures children have access to key knowledge, language and meanings to understand Design Technology and to use these skills across the curriculum. In Design Technology children are asked to solve problems and develop their learning independently. This allows the children develop both skills and knowledge to think critically, understand risk, and apply new learning. English, Maths, Science and ICT skills taught in other topics are revisited in Design Technology so children can apply and embed the skills they have learnt in a purposeful context.
Developing technical knowledge is a key element of DT these include:
Building structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable/reinforced
Exploring and using mechanisms – levers, sliders, wheels, axles, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages
Understand and use electrical systems – series circuits using switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors
Apply their understanding of computing to programme, monitor and control their products
Children will be taught to;
Design
Design purposeful, functional, appealing products
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas
Use research and develop design criteria
Make
Select and use a range of tools and equipment
Select from a range of materials and components
Evaluate
Explore, investigate, analyse and evaluate a range of existing products
Evaluate their design ideas against design criteria
Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world
Design Technology Impact Statement
Whilst at Slimbridge Primary School, children have the opportunity to work with a range of materials and resources, developing their interest for design and making so they are ready for the next steps available in secondary school. This also allows students to discover areas of strength, building their sense of achievement, self-confidence and independence. Dt in schools can be an opening to wider opportunities outside school. It also links with our principles of loose parts and creative play (den building etc)
We measure the impact of our curriculum through; reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes; pupil discussions about their learning, which includes discussion of their thoughts, ideas, processing and evaluations of work. As designers, children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.