DT
“Design and Technology helps us imagine possibilities, solve problems and turn our ideas into something useful.”
As a Church of England primary school, our Christian values of Love & Kindness, Friendship, Respect, Justice, Freedom & Responsibility, and Equality underpin our approach to education.
Design and Technology encourages children to be imaginative, resourceful and resilient, using their creativity to solve problems and make a positive difference.
Our LIVE vision is reflected in Design and Technology through:
L – Life-Long Learners: Developing practical skills, independence and the confidence to tackle unfamiliar challenges.
I – Immersive: Learning through hands-on designing, making, testing and improving products.
V – Valuing Diversity: Considering different needs, perspectives and experiences when designing solutions.
E – Enquiring Minds: Investigating how products work, exploring possibilities and solving real-world problems.
Intent: What do we want our pupils to learn?
At Bickerton Holy Trinity, we believe that Design and Technology provides opportunities for children to become creative thinkers, practical problem-solvers and confident makers.
Our ambition is for every child to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to design, make and evaluate purposeful products that meet real needs.
Through an ambitious and progressive curriculum, pupils learn to investigate existing products, explore materials and mechanisms, develop technical knowledge and apply their understanding to practical challenges.
We encourage children to think critically, take appropriate risks and recognise that successful design involves creativity, planning, testing and improvement.
Pupils also consider the wider impact of design and technology on everyday life, society and the environment.
Our aim is to develop resourceful, innovative and independent learners who can use their knowledge to solve problems and respond thoughtfully to the needs of others.
Implementation: How do we teach Design and Technology?
Our Design and Technology curriculum is organised around three key strands:
Materials and Textiles: Exploring the properties of materials, developing construction techniques and creating functional products.
Food and Nutrition: Understanding healthy eating, food preparation, ingredients and the principles of nutrition.
Structures, Mechanisms and Electrical Systems: Investigating how products work and applying technical knowledge to create purposeful designs.
Learning is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, enabling children to revisit and extend their knowledge and practical skills.
Planning takes account of our mixed-age classes, ensuring appropriate progression, curriculum coverage and challenge.
Meaningful links with mathematics, science, art and computing help pupils apply their learning in different contexts.
The design, make and evaluate process
Our teaching follows an iterative design process in which pupils are encouraged to:
Investigate and Design
Explore existing products, identify a purpose and consider the needs of a particular user. Children develop ideas through discussion, drawings, models and design criteria.
Make
Select appropriate materials, tools and techniques to create functional products, applying practical and technical knowledge safely and accurately.
Evaluate and Improve
Test products against design criteria, consider feedback and identify improvements to their designs.
Technical knowledge is developed throughout this process, enabling pupils to make increasingly informed decisions.
Design and Technology in the Early Years
In Reception, children develop early design and making skills through purposeful play and practical exploration.
They investigate materials, use simple tools, build structures and experiment with joining and construction techniques.
Through Expressive Arts and Design, Understanding the World and Physical Development, children develop creativity, problem-solving skills and the confidence to explore different solutions.
These experiences establish important foundations for designing, making and evaluating in Key Stage 1.
Design and Technology in Key Stage 1
In Years 1 and 2, children begin to design and make simple products for a specific purpose or user.
They explore materials and components, develop basic cutting, joining and finishing techniques, and investigate simple structures and mechanisms.
Pupils also learn about food preparation, healthy eating and safe, hygienic practices.
They begin to use simple design criteria to evaluate their products and identify possible improvements.
Design and Technology in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, children build on their existing knowledge to design and construct increasingly complex products.
They develop greater precision in selecting and using tools, materials and techniques, applying their understanding of structures, mechanical systems, electrical components and textiles.
Food and nutrition learning develops pupils' knowledge of ingredients, healthy and varied diets, and increasingly independent food preparation.
Children use research, design criteria, prototypes and testing to refine their ideas and evaluate the effectiveness of their finished products.
Designers, innovation and sustainability
Children investigate the work of designers, engineers and inventors, considering how products have developed to meet changing needs.
They explore how design decisions can affect people, communities and the environment.
Where appropriate, pupils consider sustainability, responsible material choices and reducing waste, supporting our wider commitment to environmental responsibility.
High-quality teaching and inclusion
Our Design and Technology curriculum is ambitious and accessible to all pupils.
In line with our Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP) approach, teachers use modelling, explicit vocabulary teaching, visual instructions, practical demonstrations and appropriate scaffolding.
Activities and resources are adapted where necessary to ensure that every child can participate meaningfully in the design and making process.
Impact: How do we know our Design and Technology curriculum is successful?
By the end of their time at Bickerton, we want pupils to:
Apply technical knowledge: Understand and use appropriate materials, tools, components and processes.
Design purposefully: Generate and communicate ideas that respond to a clear need or problem.
Make confidently: Create functional products with increasing accuracy, independence and attention to safety.
Evaluate critically: Test products against design criteria, explain decisions and identify improvements.
Solve problems creatively: Demonstrate resourcefulness, resilience and a willingness to refine ideas.
Understand the wider world: Recognise how design and technology influence everyday life and consider the impact of their choices.
Teachers assess progress through practical outcomes, design work, pupil discussion and evaluation against curriculum expectations.
Our aim is for pupils to leave Bickerton with the practical skills, technical understanding and creative confidence to approach new challenges and develop innovative solutions.
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