Why do we teach Design Technology at Freeland Primary School?

Design Technology allows children to learn to think creatively and to solve problems, both as individuals and as members of a team. At Freeland we encourage children to use their imaginations to design and make products that solve real life problems within a variety of contexts considering their own and other’s needs. Design Technology also allows children to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to reflect and adapt their design to meet a particular need.

How do we teach Design technology at Freeland?

At Freeland Primary School we use Kapow to ensure children learn skills progressively and these build over time. We have chosen to focus on 3 areas and sets of skills that we believe will inspire the children at Freeland to be designers and develop an enthusiasm for the process of designing, making and evaluating. These are: textiles, Food and Nutrition and Mechanisms. Key skills for DT have been mapped out across the school to ensure progression between year groups. DT is taught every other half term and may be taught weekly or sometimes in a block. DT allows opportunities for good learning behaviours to be developed by using the 4R’s (resilience, resourcefulness, reciprocity, and reflectiveness) throughout the design process. Retrieval of previous learning is integral in every DT lesson to ensure children remember more and build on it over time. Children will have opportunities to work independently, in pairs and in small groups.

Early Years Foundation Stage

During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have the opportunities to learn to:

• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas

• Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about form, function and purpose

• Make plans and construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources

• Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely • Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary

• Cook and prepare food adhering to good health and hygiene routines

What is the impact of our teaching?

Our DT curriculum allows children to know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology. Most children will develop age related expectations in DT through being taught our curriculum and many will achieve greater depth. The skills they learn and attributes they develop will be used in their future lives. Children will enjoy DT and be confident as designers and use the knowledge and skills they learn in other areas of the curriculum. Teachers assess the children’s learning through observations, discussions with children, and looking at children’s designs and evaluations. This is recorded on Target Tracker.