Design Technology

Designers who made a difference: Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Intent

At Weeth School, we acknowledge the importance of Design and Technology being taught discreetly and in detail. We are currently preparing children for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not been invented in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet! Through the teaching of Design and Technology we are preparing the children to participate in a rapidly changing world.
Through each unit we consider:
What – what are we doing?
Why – why are we doing it in this way?
How – how can we improve it?

Children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge including: mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. At Weeth, the units in this subject stimulate curious minds and ignite creativity and imagination. We are all born makers – in a sequence of lessons we can move what we are learning to our heads, through our hearts to our hands. Practical work is of the essence.

Weeth School values social and emotional learning. Competencies such as teamwork, collaboration and communication are essential attributes when designing, making and evaluating products. After all, the best ideas start as conversations.

We ensure that all of our units are well resourced and that every pupil has the opportunity to access this subject.

Implementation

Our delivery of Design and Technology follows the National Curriculum and we use our Crofty small steps to ensure progressive and sequential coverage.

The teaching of Design and Technology is timetabled flexibly dependent on the task and outcome. When a DT unit is being taught, this may be done in blocks of time to facilitate the stage of the process.

In EYFS and KS1 the units of food, structures, mechanisms and textiles are covered with the addition of mechanical structures and electrical systems in KS2.

● Clear and appropriate cross curricular links are made to underpin learning in multi areas across the curriculum giving the children opportunities to learn life skills and apply skills to ‘hands on’ situations in a purposeful context.

● Delivery clearly follows the design process where each project follows: investigate, design, make and evaluate through a focused task. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

We also consider the Three S’s which define DT: Something for, Somebody for and Some purpose.