Design and Technology

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

Design and Technology at Washingborough Academy

Intent

As an inspiring and practical subject, we intend for Design and Technology at Washingborough Academy to prepare children to engage with an ever-changing technological world, encouraging them to become creative and resourceful problem solvers. The cross-curricular nature of Design and Technology offers opportunities for children to apply their knowledge and skills from a number of other subjects including art, language, maths, and science.

By the time children reach Year Six, they will have experience of food technology, textiles and design and construction. They will be confident in applying their knowledge, understanding and an increased level of skill as they progress through the school. These skills are developed using a range of tools, machines and resources, to design and make effectively constructed and aesthetically pleasing products. This could be a bird house for the school grounds, a puppet for use in a play, or recipes with an emphasis on healthy living. Through their experiences, the children will be on their way to becoming risk takers and innovators. There will be a strong focus on the importance of evaluation which will allow them to adapt and improve their work, providing them with a sense of achievement and a strong foundation for the next steps of their learning.

Implementation

At Washingborough Academy, we implement a clear and comprehensive progression of skills as outlined in the National Curriculum for Design and Technology. The children are asked to investigate and solve problems, developing their use of key vocabulary. This allows the children to have more ownership over their curriculum and lead their own learning. English, Maths and ICT skills are taught during discrete lessons but are revisited in Design and Technology so children can apply and embed the skills they have learnt in a purposeful context.

Key skills and knowledge for Design and Technology have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups. The context for the children’s work is well considered and children learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples. Design and Technology lessons are taught as a block so that children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work.

When designing and making, the children are taught to:

Design:

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
  • Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make:

  • Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing, as well as chopping and slicing) accurately
  • Select from and use a wider range of materials, ingredients and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties, aesthetic qualities and, where appropriate, taste

Evaluate:

  • Investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
  • Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

Technical knowledge:

  • Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
  • Understand and use mechanical systems in their products
  • Understand and use electrical systems in their products
  • Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
  • Understand some of the ways that food can be processed and the effect of different cooking practices (including baking and grilling)

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is measured in a variety of ways:

  • Discussions with children in lessons
  • Targeted questions during lessons
  • Marking of children’s work
  • Pupil’s voice
  • Learning walks
  • Floor books
  • Notebook reviews
  • Children’s evaluation of pieces

By the time children leave Washingborough Academy they will be able to:

  • 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.

 

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Steve Jobs