Design & Technology

At Ackton, we believe in providing all children with a high-quality design and technology education in line with the National Curriculum. Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding, vocabulary and skills needed to engage in the process of designing and making. We follow the national curriculum guidance providing an inclusive curriculum for all and where possible, we encourage children to make connections to other subjects. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present technology and its usefulness.

Using a clear learning sequence, children are able to effectively research, design, make and evaluate. This helps children to understand the functionality of the industry and how to use their skills in a rapidly changing world.

Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding as well as encouraging our children to ask questions and plan enquiries, thus enabling them to have a deeper understanding of the subject. Through daily reviews and a well planned out progression of lessons, which includes challenging students at all levels, we aim to help the children know more and remember more. We encourage all children to learn to think and work creatively to solve problems both as individuals and collaboratively as members of a team.

Design & Technology Statement of Intent

“Design and Technology education helps develop children’s skills through collaborative working and problem-solving, and knowledge in design, materials, structures, mechanisms and electrical control. They are encouraged to be creative and innovative, and are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise.”

– D&T Association

Intent

WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE BEFORE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM?

The school’s senior leadership team will:

Lead the school staff to develop a clear overarching curriculum intent which drives the ongoing development and improvement of all curriculum subjects.
Ensure that the curriculum leaders have appropriate time to develop their specific curriculum intent through careful research and development.
Provide sufficient funding to ensure that implementation is of high quality.
To ensure links are made through other subjects.
To promote children becoming more resourceful and innovative.

The curriculum leader will:

Understand and articulate the expectations of the curriculum to support teaching and support staff in the delivery.
Ensure an appropriate progression of knowledge is in place which supports pupils in knowing more and remembering more as design technicians.
Ensure an appropriate progression of design and technology skills is in place over time so that pupils are supported to be the best design technicians they can be, and challenge teachers to support struggling design technicians and extend more competent ones.
Ensure an appropriate progression for vocabulary is in place for each phase of learning, which builds on prior learning.
Identify designers who underpin specific areas of the curriculum and raise aspirations for pupils.
Keep up to date with current design technicians, research and subject development through an appropriate subject body or professional group.

The class teacher will, with support from the curriculum leader:

Create a long-term plan which ensures appropriate coverage of knowledge, skills and vocabulary from the progression grid.
Personally, pursue support for any particular subject knowledge and skills gaps prior to teaching.
Ensure that resources are appropriate, of high enough quality and are plentiful so that all pupils have the correct tools and materials.
To follow the national curriculum and provide and inclusive curriculum for all.
Allow children time to reflect and evaluate their own and others creations.
To explore the changes in design processes and technologies compared to that of the past.
Identify designers who underpin specific areas of the curriculum and raise aspirations for pupils.

Implementation

WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM?

Our teaching sequence will be:

Placing the DT being studied in the context of similar past learning from previous subjects and year groups.
Children will explore and learn about variety of famous design technicians over time.
Daily review: Brief review of learning covered in previous lesson.
Teacher delivers design brief, posing the problem to be solved.
Children research existing products and possible construction materials/ingredients/ tools.
Children create their own design, in response to the brief and research.
Children make product using new techniques and skill they have acquired.
Children evaluate their work and their peers.

Our classrooms will:

Provide appropriate quality equipment for each area of the curriculum.
Have developed learning walls which include high quality WAGOLLs, including actual pieces of work and known design technicians, and carefully chosen vocabulary, which are regularly updated.
Be organised so that pupils can work in small groups or whole class as appropriate to support pupils in their development of their skills.
Be a safe space for children to learn and develop their DT skills, such as; sewing, cooking and wood work.

Our children will be:

Engaged because they are challenged by the curriculum which they are provided with.
Resilient learners who overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development.
Able to critique their own work as a design technician because they know how to be successful.
Safe and happy in design technology lessons which give them opportunities to explore their own creative development.
Encouraged and nurtured to overcome any barriers to their learning or self-confidence because feedback is positive and focuses on design and technology skills and knowledge.
Able to talk about a variety of famous design technicians over time.
Develop design technology skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and time to practice and hone skills.

Impact

HOW WILL THIS BE MEASURED?

Pupil Voice will show:

A developed understanding of the names, key works, styles and techniques of design technicians at an age appropriate level.
A secure understanding of the key techniques and methods for each key area of the curriculum: design, plan, make, evaluate.
A progression of understanding, with appropriate vocabulary which supports and extends understanding.
Confidence in discussing design technicians, their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development.

Displays around school and books will show:

Pupils have had opportunities for practice and refinement of skills.
A varied and engaging curriculum which develops a range of design and technology skills.
Close studies of the work of well-known designs.
Developed and final pieces of work which showcase the skills learned.
Clear progression of skills in line with expectations set out in the progression grids.
That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and techniques across all of the areas of the design technology curriculum.

The curriculum leader will:

Pupils have had opportunities for practice and refinement of skills.
A varied and engaging curriculum which develops a range of design and technology skills.
Close studies of the work of well-known designs.
Developed and final pieces of work which showcase the skills learned.
Clear progression of skills in line with expectations set out in the progression grids.
That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and techniques across all of the areas of the design technology curriculum.

Curriculum Documents

Design Technology Progression Grid Download Icon