Christ Church Church of England Primary School Design Technology

Design Technology at Christ Church CE VA Primary School

‘Together, with God’s love, we can achieve anything’

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Aims

The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world

build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users

critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others

understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

Intent

Children will understand through teaching in Design Technology that the built environment is the product of humanity’s incremental improvement of solutions to problems / opportunities.  There are a number of small and medium-size manufacturing companies in Warrington and one significant employer, BNFL at Risley. Our pupils intending to prosper by remaining in Warrington, which is a popular place to live and work, will benefit from strong Design Technology foundations. We have decided that one structured scheme, which we have adopted, will deliver appropriate foundational skills effectively as it focuses not only on the practical but on the thinking and preparatory processes well.

The children need to acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of:

• materials and components,
• mechanisms and control systems,
• structures,
• existing products,
• quality and value,
• relevant health and safety

They will experience the process of designing a solution to a problem, assessing its success, making refinements and repeating the process within the limitations – itself a learning process in Design technology – of available resources, such that their design tasks are within their plausible experience and using materials that are available.

We recognise that specific basic construction techniques have to be taught first, including cookery, and children need to know that things are sequentially constructed.

We wish them to appreciate interconnectedness and so will wherever possible contextualise Design Technology tasks to link with other-subject study areas and themes.

We will seek to inspire children to be creative, imaginative and skilful in handling equipment and required tools.

Detail

The emphasis of our teaching of design and technology is on investigation, teaching skills and embedding areas of the curriculum. The children will be taught in a variety of ways including:

  focused practical tasks in which they develop and practice particular skills and knowledge;

 collating information about existing products and using these to develop ideas,

  design and make assignments which include review & improve elements,

  working as an individual, in groups or as a whole class,

 self & peer assessment of success.

The tasks children undertake will be contextualised with current History / Geography / Science / Computing and Art/design tasks, wherever it is sensible to make such links, within our two-year cycle. Stand-alone skills will also be taught. Children are assessed annually for the purpose of reporting; full assessment of Key Stage / sub-Key Stage attainment is made at the end of such Key stages.

Where the option is made available, we will utilise the resources of local High schools to undertake whole-class materials / cookery sessions.

Where necessary teaching activities are adapted to ensure children with special educational needs of all kinds may participate fully.

Impact

Children through monitoring are increasingly able to articulate their growing knowledge of Design technology terms and concepts. We are working to strengthen some aspects of the subject.