Implementation
Our children have exposure to a sequential and varied range of creative and practical activities during their education at Shortlanesend School. Our children are inspired to learn and practise the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of designing and manufacturing.
Throughout their Design and Technology lessons, our children are taught 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 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, as well as chopping and slicing) accurately.
• select from and use a wider range of materials, ingredients and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties, aesthetic qualities and, where appropriate, taste.
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.
All this is allows the children to refine their technical knowledge enabling them to:
• apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
• understand and use mechanical systems in their products.
• understand and use electrical systems in their products.
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
• Understand some of the ways that food can be processed and the effect of different cooking practices (including baking and grilling).
Our Design and Technology lead and our SLT monitor the planning and delivery of learning throughout the school to ensure a clear and sequential progression of key skills and knowledge between year groups remains in place.
Our termly immersive topic planning allows for creativity concerning the context the children’s work is placed. Design and technology lessons are also taught as a block so that children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work.
Impact
Our ultimate goal is for all our children to become confident in how to take risks, become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable in the field of Design and Technology. Through being provided a rich diet of being able to evaluate both the past and present in design and technology, our children develop a sound understanding of its impact on their daily life and on the wider world. By the end of Year 6 our children fully understand that quality design and technology has made and can continue to make an essential contribution to the well-being and creativity of society.
Each term we have a full day dedicated to a Design Technology project tailored to each class. The DT lead and Teachers work carefully to plan this and link it to other topics and subjects the children have been learning throughout the term. We feel this encourages the children to gain further understanding and skills.
Smile - Learn - Excel
