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Design and Technology

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Design and technology as St Paul’s, aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

  • At the start of each unit, children in Key Stages 1 and 2 complete a Knowledge Web so that teachers can assess the prior knowledge of the children and tailor future planning to best meet the needs of the children in their class. This is then updated with new knowledge acquired, as the unit progresses.

  • The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate.

  • Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand.

  • Cooking and nutrition* has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality.

  • and skills.

  • Our Design and technology curriculum has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these five strands across each year group.

  • Our Design and Technology curriculum is taught in blocks, at different points throughout the year.

  • Our Design and technology curriculum allows pupils to respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in six key areas: mechanisms, structures, textiles, food, electrical systems (KS2) and digital world (KS2).

  • Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. Ours is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning.

  • Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Adapted activities are available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

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Children who:

  • Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.

  • Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.

  • Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.

  • Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.

  • Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.

  • Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.

  • Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.

Design and Technology Learning Journey:
 
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