Design & Technology
Intent
At Penketh South we aim to egage, inspire and challenge the children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own designs. We want to provide opportunities to develop and extend skills and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas. We want our children to use their design and technology learning to enable them to become powerful contributors and responsible citizens of the future who will embrace change and see setbacks as learning opportunities. We want them to have no limits on what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be architects, graphic designers, chefs, or carpenters.
Implementation
At Penketh South the teaching of Design Technology follows the National Curriculum through the use of the Design and Technology Associations Projects on a Page.
Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of design and making. Children are given projects which have a purpose in mind and an intended user for the product. Food Technology is implemented across the school with children developing an understanding of where food comes from, seasonality of ingredients, and the importance of planning and preparing a healthy varied diet.
EYFS
Within our Nursery and Reception classes our children explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated activities and play, and adult directed activities. They express their own ideas using a variety of media and materials, they plan and construct with a purpose in mind. They will develop their skills in using simple tools and techniques safely.
KS1
Within KS1 children will design, make and evaluate using a range of relevant contexts. They will be taught the knowledge and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.
KS2
Within KS2 children will build upon the knowledge and skills taught in KS1. They will be expected to produce more detailed planning and annotated sketches. They will investigate and analyse existing products, and within KS2 there is more emphasis on looking at events and designers who have influenced the world of Design Technology.
Within KS2 children should be introduced to computer programmes and applications which will help in the design of products.
They will build on their understanding of a healthy and varied diet, looking at seasonality and different cooking techniques.
Impact
Our D&T curriculum enables and encourages children to become critical thinkers. They look at existing designs to analyse and assess their effectiveness, then consider ways of redesigning and reconstructing to meet their own requirements. To this end, our children learn to become resourceful, innovative and enterprising individuals who are passionate and excited about the design and making process.
Progress in Design and Technology is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and monitoring of children’s work, in accordance with the school's assessment policy to ensure that progression of skills is taking place. Namely through:
- Looking at pupils’ work, especially over time as they gain skills and knowledge
- Observing how they perform in lessons or during a learning walk.
- Talking to them about what they know.
The D&T curriculum will contribute to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. This would be seen in them being able to talk confidently about their work, and sharing their work with others.
We will be able to find evidence that our children enjoy and value D&T and know why they are doing things, not just how.
Children will be able to understand and appreciate the value of D&T in the context of their personal wellbeing and the creative and cultural industries and their many career opportunities.
Progress will be shown through outcomes and through the important record of the process leading to them.
Click on the link below to see what we teach in DT: what the children need to know and understand and the skills and attitudes they will develop as they are learning in D&T.
Also, have a look at the class pages for more detail.
Design Technology Progression Document