Design Technology

Intent - Design and Technology

A high-quality Design and Technology curriculum should be practical in nature, using creativity and imagination to inspire pupils to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within the context of their own lives and the world. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world will be developed. Alongside this, pupils will consider their own and others’ needs, wants and values in relation to product design and manufacturing. Learning how to take risks will allow them to become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Pupils will continually acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and make links to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.

Aims of the Art and Design Curriculum

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
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

Implementation

Teachers work collaboratively to plan Design and Technology using the learning journey planning format. Design and Technology is planned using progression maps to ensure teaching is designed to help learners to remember, in the long term, the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts.

For the wider curriculum we block learning and re-visit practice over time through a spaced practise approach (Learning Scientists, 2016) as research suggests this will lead to better long-term retention of knowledge.

Impact

Assessing Progress

Formative Assessment:

Pupils’ progress will be assessed using regular formative assessment in lessons through strategies such as questioning, regular retrieval practice, quizzing, independent learning tasks and assessment of work in books and feedback.
Each learning journey block will be assessed formatively through the use of a knowledge-based quiz and/or a high-quality independent skills application outcome. Teachers will use this assessment to provide further feedback or re-teach concepts where necessary to close gaps and ensure pupils have mastered the curriculum content at that point.

Assessing long-term learning:

Skills will be sequentially re-visited and built upon due to the coherently
planned and sequenced progression mapping across the school.

Subject Areas