“The nature of design and technology is such that it should provide opportunities for pupils to engage in activities that are challenging, relevant and motivating. This should give pupils enjoyment, satisfaction and a sense of purpose.” (DATA Primary Guidance, p4)

 

Rationale

The staff at Burradon Community Primary School believe that Design and Technology prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. The subject encourages children to become self-directed 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 or systems that serve a purpose. We aspire for our children to be curious about the world around them, ask questions and investigate. Also, to be the best they can by persevering and being resilient.

 

Through the study of Design and Technology they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices at a basic level. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past Design and Technology created by others, as well as the items they create themselves. Design and Technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.

 

Intent

 

The aims and objectives of Design and Technology at Burradon Community Primary School are:

 

• To develop children’s skills in identifying a need, generating ideas, designing, making and evaluating.
• To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when evaluating products and when designing and making.
• To enable children to talk about how things work and to draw and model their ideas.
• To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures.
• To explore attitudes towards the ‘made’ world and how we live and work within it.
• To develop an understanding of technological processes, products, and their manufacture, and their contribution to our society.
• To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making.
• To develop children’s curiosity, originality, co-operation and perseverance.
• To encourage children’s technical vocabulary.
• To provide opportunities for children to work both individually and as part of a team.

 

Implementation: Teaching and Learning

At Burradon Community Primary School design and technology is taught in all classes from Foundation Stage to Year 6. We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in Design and Technology lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in Design and Technology. Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when investigating products, developing ideas, planning and making products and then evaluating them. We do this through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual/group activities. Within lessons, we give children the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect. Children critically evaluate
existing products, their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

Design and technology should be taught for 8-12 hours per term, depending on the project being undertaken.

Each Design and Technology project will be taught weekly, in half term blocks or during design and technology afternoons or mornings. This is left to the discretion of the class teacher.

The Design and Technology Association Project’s on a Page planners provide a framework for teaching in learning in design and technology from years 1-6. In the EYFS frequent design and technology activities are planned; some initiated by the children and some led by adults and taken from the EYFS framework.

Three main elements are planned into each Design and Technology topic:

1- Investigation and Evaluation Activities
2- Focus Practical Tasks to develop skills
3- Design and Make Activities and Evaluate

The investigational activities are the exploratory part of a topic to raise awareness of materials, methods, items and objects presently used.

The focussed practical tasks are the skill-based activities where the children’s work is directed to practise or develop particular skills.

The design and make activities are the more open activities where the children can use their skills to design and make their best design solutions.

 

 

What do our children think of Design Technology?

 

Year 1: 

What does DT stand for? Making models

Why do you think we teach DT in school? So we enjoy it and be engineers

What projects have you completed in DT? swings, zip wires and smoothies

What skills do you use in DT? thinking and making. It was hard to make my swing stand up by itself

Do you like DT and what have you enjoyed most in DT? Making models and trying dragon fruit

How could make DT better in our school? make more things

Year 2:

 

Year 2

What does DT stand for?

Computers and designing

Why do you think we teach DT in school?

Games and taking photos

What projects have you completed in DT?

Building cars and rollercoasters

What skills do you use in DT?

Cutting skills, colouring in skills

Do you like DT and what have you enjoyed most in DT?

Yes. I liked playing games. 

How could make DT better in our school?

Play more games

Year 3:

What does DT stand for?

Design Technology 

 

Why do you think we teach DT in school?

In case you want to have a job using DT like a builder, engineer and more. 

 

What projects have you completed in DT?

A Christmas box and going to produce food dishes in spring

 

What skills do you use in DT?

Not sure. 

 

Do you like DT and what have you enjoyed most in DT?

Doing boxes - a Christmas house. 

 

Yes like it because you get to design, create things and learn more stuff. 

 

How could make DT better in our school?

Try to make more things - gingerbread house at Christmas but from actual gingerbread

 

Year 5:

 

Why do you think we teach DT in school?

In case we get a job where we have to make something

In the future, your boss might give you a project which you have to build so you need to learn which materials to use and how to build it. 

 

What projects have you completed in DT?

Pop up books

Cam toys

Puppets

Pizzas 

Bubble and Squeak 

]

What skills do you use in DT?

Creativity

Resilience

What you have learnt in past years

Imagination ]

Building

Sticking

Planning, designing and testing

Engineering

 

Do you like DT and what have you enjoyed most in DT?

Mostly yes. 

Making food

Building cams

Making puppets 

So you don’t have to write! (not happy about this one - Mrs Smith!) 

 

How could make DT better in our school?

Do it more often

Make more food 

Simplify it - some things are to hard for people to understand. 

Ask children what they want to do in DT.