Design and Technology (DT)

Intent

At Heytesbury C of E Primary School, we strive to make Design Technology a relevant, inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that link in with the class topic driver this allows them to contextualise what the they are making and support them to solve problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

Our curriculum is organised as a progression which facilitates the re-visiting of learning through recurrent themes, so that knowledge and understanding becomes embedded in children’s long term memory. 

Implementation

Our DT curriculum enables children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.  Children also critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products, correcting and improving their work and giving constructive feedback.

DT is delivered through four strands; food, mechanisms and systems, textiles and structures these are taught through specific projects that allow children to explore and develop links in the topics that children encounter and in their learning of other subjects. It is taught in correlation with the overall termly question, this enable children to develop and strength links in their learning. DT is taught termly blocks alongside art, this enable children to focus on either art or DT within a term. 

Impact

Through the delivery of our curriculum, children acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on learning from other subjects such as mathematics, science, computing and art to support and supplement this.  They develop an understanding of how to use and apply their knowledge to design and create products that fulfil a specific purpose and brief.  They learn to evaluate their own and others work, which enables them to critically assess outcomes and impact.  The subject inspires children to embrace challenge and problem-solve, as well as develop a sense of curiosity about how design technology can effect progress.  They also learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens.