Design Technology

Teaching Design Technology at Over Hall Community School

'Be supported, feel supported - make a difference'

Design Technology lead: Miss Burton

This page is in the process of being updated for new academic year. 

Intent:

Here at Over Hall, we aim for children to become skilled, logical and imaginative designers. We want children to be Capable, Cultured and Creative:

Capable - 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:

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.  

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.  

Leadership - through effective leadership, staff receive training and support ensuring that they have the knowledge, expertise and skills to effectively implement DT within their year group.

Equal opportunities – All children are given sufficient time to access the DT curriculum.

Planning - 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. Children are able to talk about designers work, as well as work in the style of a designer or artist.

Breadth and depth –

Each year group will have three main DT projects throughout the year, each with a differing focus. This will depend on the year group that a child is in.  

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 document for a breakdown of knowledge and skills for year groups.

As well as completing work inside the classroom, DT also plays a part in enrichment afternoons at Over Hall, where children are provided with opportunities to develop their skills and enrich their cultural understanding. Children have taken part activities that have involved them sewing, baking, cooking and producing products using levers and pulleys.

Assessment - Subject Leaders monitor the progress of DT through work scrutiny, pupil voice, work displayed etc. Next steps for the subject then become evident.

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 fosters their curiosity and creativity.

End points:

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: 

1. 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. 

2. 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. 

3. I am a Constructor – Pupils understand the term structure and can construct 3 different types. These are freestanding structures, shell structures and frame structures. 

4. 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. 

5. 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. 

6. I am an Electrician – Pupils understand how to design and make electrical systems and more complex switches and circuits. 

 *Please see class or key stage pages for learning intentions for each year group.

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