DT

Design Technology helps us to develop as reflective learners, as we work through the design process.

Through Design Technology, we are able to work collaboratively to solve problems and find solutions, teaching us to deal with uncertainty whilst developing communication, organisational and other practical life skills. At Woodford Halse Primary Academy, we believe that design and technology lessons should foster creativity amongst students, guiding them through the design process to solve real-life problems.

In Design Technology, we learn to appreciate the needs of others, the built environment, and the likely impact of future technologies.

In our Design and Technology lessons at Woodford Halse Primary Academy, we aim to:

• Give pupils the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products.
• Allow pupils to develop creative vision, technical vocabulary, and practical skills.
• Allow pupils to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
• Teach pupils to critique, evaluate, and test their own ideas and products and the work of others.
• Teach pupils to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
• Enables pupils to broaden their understanding of key developments in history through researching important individuals and their inventions.
• Enables pupils to problem-solve, make ongoing changes and improvements during the design, and making process.
• Teach pupils about the seasonality of ingredients and how they are grown, caught and reared.
• Teach pupils how to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
• Develop pupils’ practical skills and techniques as they apply these to designing and making prototypes and products.
• Develop pupils' understanding of products and their intended users.
• Enable pupils to develop their communication skills through technology, when they are sharing ideas and explaining their thinking.

Design Technology is taught both through Skills Development Tasks and through design projects. The Satellite View maps out which thematic units feature this subject and clearly shows the objectives taught.

Design Technology is taught through a combination of subject knowledge, skill building and the designing and making projects. Food technology is also taught through thematic units and our 3D PSHE programme. Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom. The pupils have access to and utilise the garden area where they grow seasonal produce.

What do we learn in Design Technology?

Mechanisms
Sliders
Levers
Structures
Textiles
Food technology
Electronics

We also complete design technology projects in each phase for specified clients e.g. the pirate, the evil genius, allowing pupils the opportunity to both experiment and apply their knowledge and skills.

How do we assess and monitor design technology?

The children will be taught explicit design and technology skills that will be assessed by both staff and children throughout lessons to further their skills and knowledge.

Staff will be able to assess children against school progression ladders, building upon previous learning as they move through the school and the Dimensions curriculum.

We will know we have been successful if we have achieved the following:

• Children have gained a depth and breadth of knowledge about the world through their studies of design and technology.
• Children can use their problem-solving skills to successfully complete the design, make, and evaluate process resulting in purposeful products.
• Children have gained confidence to use a range of tools safely and effectively.
• Children are confidently able to communicate their ideas, explaining and thinking.