Intent

At St Wilfrid’s our Design Technology curriculum aims to provide children with a range of inspiring, rigorous and practical opportunities.  Our curriculum encourages our children to use creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems whilst critically evaluating existing products within a variety of contexts.  We intent to give children time to reflect, evaluate and improve designs considering their own and other’s needs, wants and values.  We aim to cement children’s understanding of the iterative fundamental process of design, making strong cross-curricular links with other subjects to embed and further develop knowledge and skills.  Our curriculum allows our children to evaluate key events and individuals who have helped shape the world, showing the real impact of design and technology on the wider environment inspiring children to become the next generation of innovators. 

Implementation

Our curriculum is adapted from the ‘Twinkl Planit Design Technology’ scheme of work, which provides a progression iterative framework of knowledge, understanding and skills, covering all areas of the National Curriculum including textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems.

Through the sequence of blocked lessons, we intend to provide children with a range of hands on and enriching experiences.  Our lessons help to revise earlier ideas, developing a depth to children’s understanding through revisiting and consolidating prior knowledge whilst introducing new knowledge, skills and challenge.  Children are encouraged to develop an awareness of key vocabulary, using and applying this consistently.  Opportunities are taken throughout skills teaching to ensure that children are aware of health and safety related issues, through being encouraged to risk assess dangers and reflect on how to keep themselves safe.

Lesson plans and adult guides mean subject knowledge is always provided within lessons allowing teachers and adults to feel confident in the core knowledge and skills they are teaching including embedding the teaching of core vocabulary.  Opportunities are taken to promote Design and Technology in the wider school including in Early Years, outdoor learning experiences and through cross-curricular opportunities. Our implementation intends to inspire pupils and practitioners to develop a love of Design Technology and see how it has helped shape the ever-evolving technological world they live in.

Impact

Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they can then applying in an iterative process other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities pupils will develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. Our pupils will gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on the next stage in their lives.

Pupil’s growing skills and knowledge will best show the impact of our curriculum, with ongoing assessments and key questions being used by the class teacher throughout lessons and a summative assessment at the end of each unit.  Progress of our Design Technology curriculum is measured through outcomes and the record of coverage through our curriculum knowledge and skills grids. Children’s work is showcased physically, using photos or through recording in ‘Foundation subjects’ books with lesson observations, book looks and child interviews being carried out by the subject leader to monitor the impact of teaching and learning.