Design and Technology

At Newbold Church School Design and Technology is an important part of the children's entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.  Through a rich and progressive curriculum children will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and where possible, draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.  Within a safe and nurturing environment children will learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. 

Through the evaluation of past and present Design and Technology, they will develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. 

Intent

At Newbold Church School it is our intent that Design and Technology is an inspiring, practical, meaningful and memorable 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.  One project will be taught each half term, as a block over at least 1 day to ensure continuity, progression and to enable a focus on the process as well as the end product. Topics are cross-curricular and support a broad range of subject knowledge, drawing on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.  

Within Design and Technology children will learn and build on a range of practical and technical skills (see progression of skills), testing their ideas and critiquing and evaluating both their own products and the work of others.  Across all year groups children should be designing and making something for somebody for some purpose, known as the target audience.  There will be increased opportunities for computer aided design and the use of programmable computer systems within one unit in KS2.

Implementation

Our curriculum offers a range of exciting units that solve real and relevant problems. Through these units, we also learn and apply a set of technical skills and knowledge. The units include structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. The children also draw upon knowledge and skills also used within Maths, Science, Computing and Art.

We implement the curriculum by giving the children real and relevant problems to solve, making cross curricular links to broaden their understanding, offering enrichment opportunities like workshops and competitions and creating real products that serve a purpose.

Impact

Children will have a set of DT skills embedded. They can talk about real life designers or designs and the impact they have had on the world. They have developed and become confident in the many characteristics of learning such as: resilience, resourcefulness, creativity and problem solving.

We use a range of strategies to assess these skills and knowledge including the following:

• Book monitoring
• Self assessment 
• Pupil voice
• Feedback from each lesson

Purpose of study for KS1 and KS2

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.

KS1 and KS2 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.

You can see the National Curriculum for KS1 and KS2 here.

Attainment targets for KS1 and KS2

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Assessment in Design Technology 

As with all areas of the curriculum, assessment is an integral part of the teaching process. Class teachers keep records of work carried out, and levels of achievement for each child. Photographs are a useful tool to keep as a reminder of pupil’s achievement and to remind the child of their own achievements.

Formative assessment is used to guide the process of individual pupils in Design and Technology.  It involves identifying each child’s progress in each aspect of the curriculum, determining what each child has learnt and what should be the next step in their learning.  Formative assessment is mostly carried out informally by the teachers in the course of their teaching and is based on the identified assessment opportunities. Children’s progress in Design and Technology is reported to parents through the pupil annual report and consultation meetings throughout the year.

DT in the EYFS 

Within the EYFS design and technology occurs in both the continuous provision in children's play and also through adult led focused sessions. The continuous provision may involve a child designing a model of a house using junk model equipment, creating a bridge for their cars to move across or building a den using blocks, tyres, planks and large pieces of fabric. Adult led DT could involve baking and cooking, sewing, weaving, woodwork, working with clay or designing and making a kite to fly in the wind. All adult led DT is based on children's emerging interests so although EYFS may be involved in the DT days, they incorporate DT into daily and weekly plans and weave it across all the provision. 

EYFS Aims

For the EYFS design and technology is covered in the Expressive Arts and Design area of learning. The Educational programme states that "The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe."

You can see the EYFS Statutory Framework here.

Attainment targets for EYFS

The aim by the end of the EYFS is that children at the expected level of development will:
- Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function;
- Share their creations, explaining the process they have used. 

Supporting Children with SEND to access all elements of the DT sessions

All DT days and sessions are planned to ensure that all children are able to access all elements. Specific adaptations are used to ensure all children can operate any tools they need. For example, we use a variety of different scissors to enable children with reduced mobility in their hands or for those who have not mastered scissor control, to be able to use these tools. 

As with all other areas of the curriculum, we use SEND codes to show how we will adapt our teaching to ensure all children are fully supported. This may include reducing the writing aspect of the design element to enable children with Dyslexia to fully participate.

Where children need 1-1 support with a TA to be able to fully engage in the DT sessions, this will be provided. 

As part of our monitoring processes, we ensure that children with SEND are able to fully access all aspects of the DT curriculum. 

Pupil Premium Children

As part of our monitoring processes, we ensure that children in the receipt of Pupil Premium are able to fully access all aspects of the DT

curriculum. 

For more information, please see the DT curriculum here.

To view the NCS Design and Technology Policy (v3) please click here

Useful links and websites for Design and Technology at home

If you want to have a go at one or more of the aspects of DT at home, here are some useful links: 

BBC Bitesize KS1 - Design and Technology

BBC Bitesize KS2 - Design and Technology

BBC Bitesize Design Challenges

STEM - Additional DT ideas for KS1 and KS2

Ideas for Junk Modelling at home

Home Craft ideas from Good Housekeeping

No Cook Food Recipes from BBC Good Food

Updated August 2023