Design Technology
" Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
Steve Jobs
Intent
Why is it important to learn Design and Technology?
Design and Technology helps children to think creatively and solve real life problems, supporting them in their day to day lives and within the wider world. Children gain confidence in participating in an increasingly technological world as well as developing practical and critical thinking skills. The Cooking and Nutrition element ensures children understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Design and Technology has no limits and children are encouraged to use their imagination and take risks, designing, making and evaluating new products whilst developing important life skills, including technical knowledge, that can be applied to every aspect of their future.
What does Design and Technology look like at Golcar JIN?
At Golcar JIN, we plan opportunities for children to develop their questioning skills and nurture their curiosity so they can explore how things work or investigate why they may not. We also encourage perseverance and resilience when designing, creating and evaluating products and teach children how to use a range of tools safely.
This is all promoted through:
- Cooking and Nutrition lessons
- Using mechanisms and electrical components
- Construction activities
- Exploring different materials
- Applying computing skills
Teachers plan lessons using the Clive Davies ‘Weaving Design and Technology Skills, Knowledge and Understanding’ document ensuring progression as children move through school. These skills, along with assessment opportunities, are included on published Medium Term Plans. Assessments are made against each year group specific skill which then informs future planning. These assessments are then passed onto the next teacher each year.
How do we promote Design and Technology learning at Golcar JIN?
We link much of our Design and Technology work to our current topics, making relevant and real products. We often have themed days for ‘design and make’ projects to allow opportunities for children to consolidate their skills, applying trial and error and perseverance if things don’t go according to plan. School wide, we have an annual ‘Science and Engineering Week’ promoting the important links with Science, Maths and Computing. As part of this, children have interviewed real Engineers via the Internet to inspire our possible engineers of the future and designed and made their own products for whole school competitions. Our school has also run an after-school cooking club, with children and their adults attending together, to develop an understanding of the importance of making healthy, balanced meals. Children across school participate in cooking lessons, linked to topics and class countries, and our Year 6 children have also attended cooking workshops at a local high school.
Implementation
National Curriculum
Design and technology programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2
Whole School Design and Technology Overview
SMSC in Design and Technology