Design and Technology

" When you stop and think about it, virtually everything around us has been designed and engineered in some way. 

Design and technology is the future."

~ The Design and Technology Association

Intent

Our DT Curriculum gives children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding through designing and making functional products for a range of different users. They learn about key inventions and a range of different designers from diverse backgrounds. Children are encouraged to think creatively and produce innovative designs as they explore the designed and made world in which they live.

Implementation

Our DT Curriculum gives children the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding through designing and making functional products for a range of different users. They learn about key inventions and designers and we have chosen these carefully to ensure that different genders and ethnicities are represented. Every year group covers three DT Units which begin with a clearly stated Design Brief. Each Unit is carefully designed to build on the skills and knowledge that come before. Children are encouraged to think creatively and produce their own designs as they follow the iterative process and create a finished product. Evaluation is a key part of the production cycle and children conclude their projects by considering how well their finished product meets the Design Brief. In Year 6, children take part in an Enterprise project where they make products to sell at Christmas in order to raise money for a chosen charity and a Y6 Farewell Celebration in July.

In Reception, through our continuous and enhanced provision, children have daily opportunities to work on their own creative projects, whether that be building with construction kits, creating their own models in the Modelling Area or making larger collaborative structures with friends in the Outdoor Block Play Area. Children also learn foundational skills such as holding a pencil correctly, using scissors, and joining materials with glue and tape. Through their play they explore the properties of different materials (eg card, wood, plastic, fabric, wire) and how these materials can be shaped, manipulated and connected.

Impact

Teachers check children's learning during lessons in order to ensure key knowledge and skills are being acquired.  At the end of each Unit, teachers will use each child's final product to assess overall attainment for that Unit. The DT Subject Leader monitors the subject through regular opportunities to look at planning, children's work in books, learning walks and pupil voice.

At Crowthorne C of E School, we want the impact of our DT curriculum to be that:

• children enjoy working creatively and are confident to problem solve and find their own solutions
• children have developed a wide range of practical skills 
• children know about a diverse range of designers and some key inventions that have had a significant impact on our lives
• children can apply the DT skills they have learned to their daily lives, for example cooking simple meals or reattaching a shirt button