"Technology makes possibilities. Design makes solutions."
 John Maeda

 

INTENT

At Barnburgh, we believe that Design and Technology prepares children to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers - as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond to them by developing a range of ideas and by making products and systems. Through the study of Design and Technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industry.

Our Core Values provide the platform on which we have built our curriculum offer at Barnburgh Primary Academy. Our Design and Technology curriculum is underpinned by our Core Values in the following ways;

 

COURAGE

• To know that mistakes are part of Design & Technology and to understand learning from mistakes are part of the process to reaching a high-quality outcome.
• To have the courage to explore and innovate using D&T.

PERSEVERANCE

• To develop the ability to stick with something, to continue working, re-design and to re-evaluate, and most importantly - to never give up. 
• To understand the perseverance and dedication that is needed to work successfully in D&T and to see a project turn from a design into a real-life model.

AMBITION

• To do their best and then to push themselves beyond what they consider to be their best. 
• To develop a desire to achieve something and to make a design come to life.

RESPECT

• To respect the ambition and work of their peers.
• To respect equipment used in D&T lessons.

INDEPENDENCE

• To develop confident learners, who understand that Design and Technology is a process that requires constant attention to detail.
• To develop resilient designers who have the confidence to think and overcome issues independently.

BEYOND THE SUBJECT

We want our art curriculum to help children to:

• Think creatively about all aspects of their life.
• See the world from different perspectives.
• Increase their empathy.
• Observe and look closer at the world around them.
• See design connections in the world.

 

IMPLEMENTATION

Our Design and Technology curriculum has been designed to cover all the skills set out in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum states that ‘Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject.’ Through a variety of creative activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. Children work in a range of relevant contexts (for example, home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment).

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 sketches, 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) accurately
• Select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities

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

Key skills and key knowledge for Design and Technology have been mapped across Barnburgh, to ensure progression between year groups. This also ensures that there is a context for the children’s work in Design and Technology; that they learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples, as well as develop their skills throughout the programme of study.

Food and Nutrition at KS2

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others, affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

• Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet

• Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques

• To understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

 

 

IMPACT

 

Our children will have a clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology, that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. The children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology, demonstrating this knowledge when using tools and skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities out of school. As designers, children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.

The children will be able to showcase their knowledge through work and projects. Monitoring of the D&T curriculum takes place once a term, allowing school leaders to ensure that every child has the opportunity to develop their skills and understanding.

 

Please find the design and technology progression document below. This is a working document.