Design and Technology
What is Design and Technology and why do we teach it?
Design and Technology involves the application of knowledge and skills when designing and making products and helps to prepare children for the developing world. The activities we offer will enable our children to consider the needs of individuals and of society within the context of a caring community.
We often refer to D&T as the '3's'
Products should have a purpose; they should do something. Things should be designed, made, analysed with people in mind. There should be an end user that is considered throughout the process and who could potentially test the outcome to check it meets their needs.
What it is, who it's for and what it does should be varied throughout the experiences of D&T that pupils have. At times the 3 S's may be given to pupils, at times the pupils will decide for themselves.
Design and Technology encourages children to use a range of materials and processes to become creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. We aim to ensure that the activities undertaken will impact on the children’s local environment and support them in the wider world to become informed consumers and potential innovators.
Early Years:
Pupils will experiment to create different textures and to manipulate materials to achieve a planned effect. They will construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources and simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately. Pupils will be making sense of the 'made world' in which they live. By making, changing and modifying (or designing) things for themselves, pupils will gain greater understanding of their world.
Key Stage 1:
Pupils learn how to think imaginatively and talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making. They build on their early childhood experiences of investigating objects around them. They explore how familiar things work and talk about, draw and model their ideas. They learn how to design and construct objects safely and may use ICT as part of this process.
Key Stage 2:
Pupils work on their own and as part of a team participating in a range of designing and making activities. They think about what products are used for and the needs of the people who use them. They plan what has to be done and identify what works well and what could be improved on their own and other people’s designs. They draw upon knowledge and understanding from other areas of the curriculum.
Intent
At Darnhall Primary School it is our intent that Design Technology helps pupils to deal with the rapidly changing world that we live in. D&T provides pupils with real life context for learning whilst learning about the past and present technology. We want children at Darnhall to be able to use their creativity through designing and making with a real life purpose. Pupils follow the principles of the 3S's - Make 'Something' - For 'Someone' - For 'Some Purpose'. Pupils are encouraged to use their imagination, to think 'outside the box' in fun and engaging lessons whilst also developing technical vocabulary. The skills learned in D&T also help with learning across the curriculum for example; knowledge about the properties of materials helps in science and the practice of measuring accurately helps in mathematics. Children will also experience using a range of tools and equipment in a safe environment and to use the correct tool effectively to complete the task.
Implementation
Our curriculum offers a range of exciting topics that help our pupils to solve real and relavant problems. D&T will be taught every two weeks and there will be a D&T Day each half term to ensure continuity, progression and enable a focus on the process as well as the end product. Through these units we apply a range of technical skills including mechanisms, computing, electrical control, construction, textiles and a range of materials including food. Pupils draw upon knowledge from various other subjects making cross curricular links wherever possible to broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding. Every child will have a D&T book which will travel with them through the school to show their ‘D&T journey’. At Darnhall we celebrate our children's exceptional learning during our D&T Days by displaying their D&T boards which show outstanding practice.
