Design Technology at Phoenix Community Primary School

Intent

At Phoenix Community Primary School, children receive a design and technology curriculum which allows them to exercise their creativity through designing and making. Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. We encourage cross curricular links to be made, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning. Children will learn basic cooking skills.

Implementation

Regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. We want our pupils to be able to express their views and intentions using subject specific vocabulary. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should begin with technical knowledge. The design process should link with real life, creating relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to choose freely from. To evaluate, children should be able to evaluate their own products against a design criteria. Each of these steps begin with technical knowledge and vocabulary. DT should be taught to a high standard, where each of the stages should be given equal weight.

The key skills we teach the children are:

• sewing and textiles
• cooking and nutrition
• electrical and mechanical components
• Using materials D&T is usually taught in a short block

Impact

At Phoenix Community Primary School we want our children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. We want them to build and apply a bank of knowledge, skills and understanding in order to design and make products of a high standard. Having the courage to critique and evaluate their own and others’ products. Throughout their time at Phoenix, children will have the time and opportunity to design and make a range of products. Our children’s learning will be captured through their learning journey and an online journal ‘Seesaw’. Children are expected to comment on their own and other’s learning; making subject specific comments using key vocabulary. Teachers will assess the children’s learning through Seesaw using the National Curriculum knowledge and skills criteria.