Design Technology

Subject Leader: Mrs T. Levitt

The Curriculum at Holme upon Spalding Moor Primary School

The Intent, implementation and Impact of our Curriculum – of Design and Technology.

INTENT

It is the intent at Holme on Spalding Moor School to recognise Design and Technology as being where imagination and creativity join with practical skills and methodical working to meet functionality and desirability. In an ever changing, fast moving world Design and Technology allows children to question, investigate, explore, discuss, draft, make and test their own work; alongside the work of others. Design and Technology promotes independent thinking, team work, problem-solving, communication skills and invites children to question. It combines academic ability with practical capabilities and contains no barriers or defined end results. Design and Technology teaches children to make predictions, to experiment and to evaluate the processes that have been adopted; against the original intention and the end result that has been achieved. Design and Technology allows children to adopt the role of both designer and consumer, it allows children to learn from the past and to shape the future.

IMPLEMENTATION

In order to achieve our aims, we will:

Make sure the subject leader closely monitors the quality of teaching and learning within the school.
Plan purposeful, design opportunities on a two-year cycle, which will engage, enthuse and inspire our children – reflecting on designers and inventors from a range of cultures and historical periods.
Ensure that children recognise that Design and Technology must follow the mantra of …SSS -Something for Someone for Some purpose.

Teach children to understand the vital process of investigating, designing, making, testing and evaluating, using appropriate vocabulary and an array of techniques, tools and equipment.
Provide opportunities to work imaginatively across a range of contexts, striving to broaden personal skills across a wide span of disciplines and curriculum areas.
Provide each child with a personal design book to travel with them throughout school. A continual point of reference, a treasure chest of personal ideas and a record of their design challenges and products made throughout school.
Secure opportunities for children to work alongside designers, engineers, and industry – partaking in engineering projects, national incentives and community inspired design challenges / projects and competitions.

IMPACT

Children will purposefully design tasks where the end product can be tested against the original intention / design brief / purpose.
Children understand the appropriate terminology needed to discuss the task and method of working / tools and techniques employed.
Children have a clear understanding of what a design and technology task must incorporate (SSS) and appreciation of connections between curriculum areas and the way in which such scaffold each design project.
Children will have a solid recognition of the design process, recognising that inspiration exists everywhere and that ‘mistakes / failed attempts’ are evidence of learning taking place and a testimony of the desire to succeed.
Children understand and appreciate that the design work of others shapes the future for us all.