Design Technology
Intent
At Chew Stoke Church School we aim to build a Design and Technology curriculum which develops learning resulting in the acquisition of both knowledge and skills. We will ensure that by the time children leave at the end of KS2, they will be able to actively participate in the technological world of our diverse and global society. Our Design and Technology Curriculum allows children make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts based on a well-thought, child-led design brief and specification. Meaningful and purposeful cross-curricular links are made with Art and Design, Maths and Science to support children’s breadth and depth of understanding, so children communicate their learning in a range of forms. We intend to design a curriculum that is inclusive of all pupils, which recognises the “whole child”, equipping them with relevant subject knowledge, skills and understanding set out by the National Curriculum. We understand that schools must provide a balanced and broadly based curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for their future opportunities, responsibilities and experiences.
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in design and technology, we implement a curriculum that is progressive and purposeful throughout the whole school. Design and technology is taught through our cross curricular topics that link Maths, Science, Computing, Engineering and Art. Pupils develop key skills and explore their ideas through design and build projects using a range of media including food technology.
The design and technology curriculum at Chew Stoke Church School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, which provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each Key Stage. Teachers plan lessons for their class with the support of ‘Projects on a Page’ and our progression of knowledge and skills document. Teachers can use these documents to plan their design and technology lessons suitable to their class’s interests and what they want to learn about. The progression document ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group.
When teaching design and technology, teachers should follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement and their professional understanding of the pupils in their class. Larger projects and in class competitions are engaged with successfully by our pupils and their families, creating strong links between home and school. Our pupils also have the opportunity to experience Design and Technology in real life with involvement in local and regional STEM projects.
Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional design and technology learning outside the classroom. At Chew Stoke Church School, the children have many opportunities to experience design and technology on educational visits. The children have visited local museums, food establishments and had visitors into school to share learning and have hands on experiences. Our teachers can also make use of our outdoor learning environment when planning for their students.
Impact
Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology, demonstrating this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities out of school. The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology. As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.