Intent

At Putnoe Primary School we aim for children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. DT should provide children with a real-life context for learning. We want to allow children to aspire to be more through creating opportunities for them in the wider world. Through the DT curriculum, children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose. Children are given opportunities to build and apply knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. Children are required to critique, evaluate, and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

Implementation

All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge.  The design process should be rooted in real life, 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 should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. There should be evidence in each of these stages in the DT books, which should also develop to show clear progression across the key stages as they are passed up through each year group.

• In Key Stage 1, this looks like:
  • Design:
    • Design should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
    • Planned through appropriate formats: drawing, templates, talking and mock-ups.
  • Make:
    • Children should be given a range of tools for their projects to choose from.
    • Children should use a wide range of materials and components; textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.
  • Evaluate:
    • Evaluate existing products.
    • Evaluate their own products against design criteria.
• In Key Stage 2, this looks like:
  • Design:
    • Rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
    • Researched designs based on functional, appealing products with purpose.
    • Planned by appropriate methods; annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer aided design.
  • Make:
    • Children can select from a wider range of tools than KS1.
    • Children should use from and select a wider range of materials and components; textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.
  • Evaluate:
    • Evaluations should be in comparison to existing products.
    • Children should evaluate against a design criteria.
    • Children should understand how key events and individuals have helped shape design and technology globally – products are in context!

Design and Technology is taught half-termly.  In Year 6, Mr Pope delivers DT. All other year groups are taught DT by their class teacher. There are 3 units taught per year group. We want to imbed vocabulary in lessons and lessons are cross-curricular. Each lesson is at least an hour long.

Impact

Assessment of children's learning in Design Technology takes the form of ongoing monitoring of children's understanding, knowledge and skills using key questioning skills built into lessons by the class teacher. Child-led assessment such as success criteria and evaluation grids are also used to inform the differentiation, support and challenge required by the children. Summative assessment is conducted termly by class teachers across each year group and is aimed at targeting next steps in learning as well as informing the subject leader of progress and skills/knowledge still to be embedded. This is recorded in the Sonar tracker and tells us whether each individual child is below expected, just at expected, at expected or above expected attainment for their age.

Pupils will use DT vocabulary more confidently and accurately. This will be reflected in pupils voice, highlighted into WALT boards and used throughout teaching of DT lessons. They will have many opportunities to talk about their learning using a variety of group discussions, teamwork tasks, 1:1 and peer learning. They will link key vocab from their practical DT and share explanations, solutions, and reasoning.

This will be measured in the following way:

• In books: Amount of topic-based vocab is easily spotted and the amount of specific vocab words used will increase.
• Pupil’s voice: Through discussion, pupils will have a clearer understanding of the scientific enquiry approaches.
• Sonar Tracker Vocabulary Statements will show whether pupils have achieved their age-related statements and should show that pupils have met end of year expectations.

The gap between pupil premium and non-pupil premium will close. This information will be obtained and measured from:

• Sonar Tracker: The amount of progress will increase and Pupils will make progress.
• Pupil’s voice: Pupil Premium children have an enthusiasm for DT and enjoy enrichment activities. 

By the time children leave our school, they will have:

• An excellent attitude towards learning and independent working.
• The ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.
• The ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs.
• The ability to act as responsible designers and makers, working ethically, using a range of materials carefully and working safely.
• A thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment, and materials to use to make their products.
• The ability to apply mathematical knowledge and skills accurately.
• The ability to manage risks, be resourceful, innovative, and enterprising to manufacture products safely and hygienically.
• A passion for the subject. Children will be equipped with skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as a capable citizen in the wider world.