Design and Technology at St Laurence's

Design and Technology (DT) prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly life changing world.  Creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life.  The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team.  It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems. 

Through the study of Design and Technology, using our Plan Bee scheme, children at St Laurence's combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics and industrial practices.  This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past designs, products and their impacts. 

 

End of Key Stage One Expectations

At the end of KS1 children will develop the confidence and foundations to plan and evaluate for the purpose of design technology for both real and relevant problems.

They will begin to develop an understanding within the context of their broader curriculum the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world.

They will be able to select from a range of tools to perform practical tasks.

They will explore structures and how they can be made stronger. 

 

End of Key Stage Two Expectations

At the end of KS2 children will use research techniques and develop design criteria. 
They will generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion and other forms. 

They will select from a range of tools to perform practical tasks.

They will begin to apply their learning in a variety of ways.

They will investigate, analyse and evaluate their ideas and products against a range of criteria. 

 

Design and Technolgy Aims at St Laurence's 

• to develop children’s designing and making skills,
• to teach children the knowledge and understanding, within each child’s ability, that will be required to complete the making of their product,
• to teach children the safe and effective use of a range of tools, materials and components,
• to develop children’s understanding of the ways in which people have designed products in the past and present to meet their needs,
• to develop children’s creativity and innovation through designing and making,
• to develop children’s understanding of technological processes, their management and contribution to society,
• to understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet to preparing dishes.

 

Intent

At St Laurence’s we aim to provide all children with a broad and balanced curriculum which prepares them for life beyond primary education. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make a range of products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, starting in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to Key Stage 2 (KS2).    

 

Design and Technology (DT) is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject that encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team.  Through the study of DT, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industry. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate past and present technology, its uses and impacts on the wider world.  Reading and vocabulary is at the heart of our curriculum.  Our aim is to provide all children with the knowledge, skills and vocabulary associated with DT, which are in line with the EYFS curriculum and National Curriculum. 

 

Implementation

Our DT curriculum combines skills, knowledge, concepts and values to enable children to tackle real problems. It can improve analysis, problem-solving, practical capability and evaluation skills.  The children are encouraged to become innovators, risk-takers and resilient, whilst applying their knowledge and skills from other subjects in the curriculum. 

 

During the EYFS pupils explore through a combination of child-initiated and adult-directed activities, which meets the specific area of learning (expressive arts and design).  They have the opportunities to:

• Explore paint, using fingers and other parts of their bodies as well as brushes and other tools.
• Express ideas and feelings through making marks, and sometimes give a meaning to the marks they make.
• Explore different materials, using all their senses to investigate them.
• Use their imagination as they consider what they can do with different materials.
• Make simple models which express their ideas.
• Make imaginative and complex ‘small worlds’ with blocks and construction kits, such as a city with different buildings and a park.
• Develop their own ideas and then decide which materials to use to express them.
• Join different materials and explore different textures.
• Create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills.

 

The teaching of DT within KS1 and KS2 school follows the National Curriculum using Plan Bee schemes of work.  This supports all teachers with a clear and effective structure to ensure children’s learning is building on previous skills and enables children to embed their learning in their long-term memories.

As part of the planning and delivering process, teachers need to consider the following: 

• Clear and well thought out sequence of lessons for each DT topic, which carefully plans for progression and depth.
• Key vocabulary and specific vocabulary used which matches each topic and skill.
• The needs of all children are considered and monitored, including those with SEND and disadvantaged children.
• To ensure that children fulfill each stage of the designing process. E.g. investigating existing products, designing, making and evaluating.
• DT work is clearly evident within the back of every child’s Sketch Book. This can be evidenced in a range of different ways.  g. Seesaw/Tapestry (for EYFS) and photographs. 
• Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience (when necessary).
• A means to display and celebrate the pupils’ DT work in their class.

 

Food technology is implemented across the school with children developing an understanding of where food comes from, the importance of a varied and healthy diet and how to prepare this.

 

Impact

Our DT curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:  

·       Monitored by the Subject Lead throughout the year in many forms.  E.g. Book scrutiny, pupil interviews to discuss their learning and understanding, lesson observations etc. 

·       Teachers assessing the learning of each term against the planned outcomes, knowledge and skills for their specific DT topics. 

·       DT assessments are completed at the end of every term (by the Class Teachers) and the data is collated and analysed by the Subject Lead. 

 

 

 

 

 

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