Intent

At Elworth Hall, we believe that high-quality Design and Technology lessons will inspire children to think imaginatively and innovatively, enabling them to solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Providing children with the opportunities to build, refine and improve a project helps them become creative problem solvers. In design and technology children are expected to be reflective and evaluate their work, thinking about how they can make changes, develop their skills, and keep improving. This should be meaningful and continuous throughout the process, with evidence of age-related verbal or written reflection. We encourage children to take risks, become resourceful, critique, and evaluate their work. Taking risks provides children with the opportunity to reflect on their work, ensuring they build and apply a repertoire of knowledge and skills.

Implementation

We recognise the importance of inspiring children through the teaching of design technology, and through well sequence lessons we aim to make their learning as rigorous and practical as possible. Each year group completes 3 design technology projects each academic year: 1 food and nutrition-based project and 2 in either textiles, mechanisms, structures, mechanical systems and electrical systems. These projects ensure children develop their skills and knowledge of Design Technology in greater depth.

Each project follows the same four step process:

• Research
• Design
• Make
• Evaluate

During Design Technology lessons, children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and apply knowledge from other subjects such as mathematics, science, computing, and art.

Teachers provide children with the opportunity to use their research and creativity, to design and make products that follow a design brief and solve real and relevant problems. Children are taught the importance of evaluating and testing their product in KS1, this is built on in KS2 with more detailed evaluation questions and critiquing and evaluating the work of their peers.

Impact

The design technology projects we complete in each year group is well thought out and planned with the purpose of demonstrating the progression of skills and knowledge. We want our pupils to become designers and creators and have the opportunity to develop their skills fully and showcase their talents. Through taking risks pupils will become resourceful, innovative, and capable individuals, with a clear understanding of the impact design technology has on daily life and the wider world around us.

We measure the impact of our design technology curriculum through the following methods once a term:

• Book looks - Design Technology class floor books
• Learning walks
• Pupil voice – discussions about their learning: which includes discussions about their thoughts, ideas, and progress.