Design Technology
Teaching Design Technology at Over Hall Community School
'Be supported, feel supported - make a difference'
Design Technology lead:
Intent for Design and Technology
Here at Over Hall, we encourage our pupils to use their creativity and imagination. Our pupils are encouraged to consider real-life problems: designing, making and evaluating products considering the product, purpose and user.
Subject knowledge in DT is wide by incoporating mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. As children design and make products they learn how to take risks and become skilled, logical and imaginative designers. Children consider not just their own needs, but others' needs, want and values when applied to various contexts.
By covering technical knowledge and skills in various areas such as food, textiles and mechanisms, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage our children to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have skills to contribute to future design advancements. The scheme of work ensures pupils build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high quality protoypes.
Our Design and Technology lessons give children opportunities to investigate exsisting products, create designs, practice new skills, make a product and evaluate what they have made. Pupils learn to select from and use a range of materials, components, including construction materials, textiles and ingrediants.
During their time at Over Hall, we aim for pupils to become Competent, Cultured and Creative within the Design and Technology curriculum.
Competent - Children are able to identify that DT is a skills-based subject, and explain how it could help to equip them with knowledge and skills for their future. They are determined to improve their skills throughout their time at school.
Cultured - Through regular teaching, pupils will have a deeper level of understanding of culture, through DT. They respect how designers create products.
Creative - Children will have developed a stronger sense of creativity. They will become more inquisitive, adventurous, take risks and understand that the outcome is only a part of the process.
Implementation for Design and Technology:
At Over Hall, we believe that DT is made more meaningful when it is linked to other elements of the curriculum. This is something that we endeavour to do, in order for each project to be exciting and extremely educational. The long-term plan is for children to develop a broad and deep understanding of DT. Children will be capable of producing a working product, that has carefully considered the user and it’s purpose. Across projects, each year group will cover past and present famous figures within the design and technology industry.
Please see our Long Term Plan in the linked files below.
Children will be encouraged to:
- Understand the contexts, users and purposes behind products.
- Generate, develop, model and communicate about their own ideas and designs.
- Plan by selecting a range of tools, materials and equipment.
- Develop their practical skills and techniques.
- Evaluate their own ideas, existing products, key events and individuals.
- Display technical knowledge by making products work.
At Over Hall, we have created our own DT scheme of work. We have sequenced our units of work in order to build on prior learning and prepare for future learning. Projects are taught in a sequential manner to allow technical knowledge and skills to progress.
Within Reception, Year One and Two, children will be working on the following projects:
- Mechanisms – Wheels and axles.
- Textiles – Templates and joining techniques.
- Structures – Freestanding structures.
- Food – Preparing fruit and vegetables.
- Mechanisms – Sliders and levers.
Within Year Three and Four, children will be working on the following projects:
- Structures – Shell structures.
- Food – Healthy and varied diet.
- Textiles – 2-D shape to 3-D product.
- Mechanical systems – Levers and linkages.
- Electrical systems – Simple circuits and switches.
Within Year Five and Six, children will be working on the following projects:
- Structures – Frame structures.
- Food – Celebrating culture and seasonality.
- Electrical systems – More complex switches.
- Textiles – Combining different fabric shapes.
- Mechanical systems – Pulleys or gears.
Please refer to the DT progression documents for a breakdown of knowledge and skills for year groups.
Each key project follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has particular theme and focus for technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition. This learning journey is recorded in individual booklets. Lessons incorporate independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks.
Throughout the Early Years, all pupils are encouraged to explore and experiment with a range of tools and materials. Such tools and materials, where possible, are readily available and vary in level of expertise needed. Planning allows for a variety of particular themes/topics/skills to be explored and for staff to purposely introduce new vocabulary and concepts (e.g. within cutting: cut, snip, line, shape, across, around, hold, position, up/down, open/close, forward/back); in doing so staff must very carefully balance engagement (through themes and topic linked work) with the direct teaching of the vocabulary and skills needed for pupils to progress; whilst also ensuring ample opportunities for child-initiated play and self-led enquiry in the provision. Opportunities to investigate, design, make and evaluate are available both within the classroom and within the large outdoor provision.
Weekly cooking opportunities are available to all pupils in Reception and are always well received by pupils! Our pupils love to explore with their senses: smelling, tasting and feeling the texture of ingredients.
Leadership - as a result of effective leadership, staff receive training and support ensuring they have the knowledge, expertise and skills to effectively implement DT within their cohort. This is done via Staff Training sessions as well as recommending development courses for staff to undertake. Data is generated by Class Teacher judgement and then reported on Insight, where the Subject Lead then collates it and produces a progress table. This is then reported to the Head Teacher and Trustees.
Equal opportunities – All children are given sufficient time to access the Art curriculum which has been carefully designed so that all children are able to access and interact with the content. Through the use of adaptive teaching and scaffolds, all children receive an enjoyable Art curriculum.
Planning - the long-term plan (as seen below) is for children to continue to develop a broad and deep understanding of Design Technology. Staff members turn the Key Learning Documents into Medium term plans to adequately cover the requirements of the curriculum. As a result, children will:-
- be capable of developing the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently
- participate successfully in an increasingly technological world;
- 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
- critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook
Breadth and depth –
Within Key Stage One, pupils will explore a curriculum which allows them to explore a variety of creative and practical activities, taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They willwork in a range of relevant contexts that may include the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment. The process will follow the Design, Make, Evaluate process alongside building upon Technical Knowledge.
When designing and making, Key Stage 1 children will be taught to:
Design
- design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
- generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology
Make
- select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
- select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics
Evaluate
- explore and evaluate a range of existing products
- evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
Technical knowledge
- build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
- explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles] in their products
Key Stage Two children will continue to explore the above points, alongside being able to:
Design
- use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
- generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design
Make
- select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately
- select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities
Evaluate
- investigate and analyse a range of existing products
- evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
- understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world
Technical knowledge
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- apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
- understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages]
- understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
- apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
Cooking and nutrition
As part of their work with food, children will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking opens doors to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables children to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Children will be taught to:
Key stage 1
- use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
- understand where food comes from
Key stage 2
- understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
- prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
- understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed
Please refer to the Art progression document for a breakdown of knowledge and skills for year groups.
Wider Opportunities -
Children are given the opportunity to apply their skills and understanding by working on projects which can be seen all around school.
Assessment -
Teachers carry out assessments of the children as part of everyday teaching, and at the end of a unit of work to check learning. Both types of assessment help teachers to plan the next steps and they also help to monitor children’s progress and provide reports for parents and carers.
On entry to Reception, children take part in a national Baseline Assessment to assess skills in all areas. Reception staff record children’s progress using the Foundation Stage Profile. Teachers and Teaching Assistants observe and assess children whilst they are engaging in a variety of activities. The assessments cover all the areas taught in the Foundation Stage, including the child’s emotional and social adjustment to school. The staff use the information they gather to plan appropriate work for all the children in their care. A copy is given to the parents at the end of the school year, and termly updates are sent out.
Teacher Assessment takes place in all year groups throughout the year across the curriculum. Teacher assessments are guided by the subject specific end points presented on each year group's knowledge organiser - accessible to children, parents/carers and staff. Staff will use their Teacher judgement throughout the topic to review the skills that the children have built upon as well as their final projects. As the children progress in through school at Over Hall, they will also be assessed on their ability to formally write an evaluation of their piece of work. Verbal and summary reports that detail current attainment, progress alongside attendance are given at parent consultation evenings which are held in Autumn and Spring Terms. Parents/Carers are also informed if their child is/is not identified as SEND at these consultations. An annual report is written by staff and shared with parents in the Summer Term. Detailing attainment, progress and effort, a statement and target in Design Technology; and a final comment upon the whole child.
Subject leaders have a firm grasp of performance and delivery as a result of pupil voice, staff voice, work scrutiny and data scrutiny alongside lesson observation.
During lessons, teachers check that the children have learnt the necessary knowledge and have the skills required to complete the key learning tasks – this is demonstrated through discussion, hot marking and via short quizzes at the start or end of lessons. Teachers also use this assessment in a timely manner to identify common misconceptions and feedback which informs planning and adjustments to their teaching.
Impact:
Through our teaching and learning of DT, pupils not only become capable, but confident in their skills. They develop an understanding of DT terminology, and use it in their evaluations of the effectiveness of their product. Most importantly, children will feel like designers as they work on meaningful projects that foster their curiosity and creativity.
During their time at Over Hall, we aim for pupils to become Competent, Cultured and Creative within the Design and Technology curriculum. There are 6 key end points for a pupil to reach by the end of their time at Over Hall, which involves pupils experiencing different real-life professions. They are as follows:
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I am a Designer – Pupils understand the process of working towards a design brief, in order to produce a product, for a pre-determined user, that has a specific purpose.
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I am a Chef – Pupils can prepare fruit and vegetables; understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet; and celebrate culture and seasonality through the recipes they explore and create.
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I am a Constructor – Pupils understand the term structure and can construct 3 different types. These are freestanding structures, shell structures and frame structures.
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I am a Textile Technologist – Pupils are competent at sewing and can demonstrate template and joining techniques; how a 2D shape can become a 3D product; as well as combining different fabric shapes.
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I am a Mechanic – Pupils can create a variety of mechanical systems including wheels and axles; sliders and levers; levers and linkages; and pulleys or gears.
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I am an Electrician – Pupils understand how to design and make electrical systems and more complex switches and circuits.