Introduction

My name is Miss Dower and I am the DT lead. The following information will give you overview of Design and Technology at Lydiate Primary School.

The Lydiate Design Technologist – The Intent

‘Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values’ – National Curriculum

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you look deeper, it’s really how it works.” – Steve Jobs

At Lydiate Primary we understand that Design and Technology is a practical, hands on subject where children are given the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. By combining their design and making skills with knowledge and understanding our children can learn to create quality products to help resolve real life problems in a rapidly changing and thriving world.

We believe it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work. We aim to make Design and Technology an exciting, inspiring and practical subject that allows all of our pupils to recognise the endless possibilities for their creativity and problem solving.

Our curriculum drivers

Our Curriculum is driven around the three principles which make up our school motto: Inspire, Achieve, Prepare for Life. We start every lesson by setting the learning intention, explaining clearly why we are learning a concept, and drawing specifically on previous learning to help us.

Inspiring Our Pupils - The Intent

We want our children to develop an enjoyment of Design and Technology in all its various forms including: Cooking and Nutrition, Architecture and Structures, Mechanisms and Mechanical systems, Electrical systems and Textiles.

We aim for children to:

• Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to 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.

Ensuring our pupils achieve - The implementation

Design technology is an integral part of our school curriculum and is embedded into the planning. At times it may be taught discretely or where appropriate as part of a wider topic. All of our pupil’s complete DT projects in the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. Each Design and Technology project follows the same structure: Research, Design, Make and Evaluate, ensuring there is sufficient time for pupils to explore and practise new skills and techniques. The key knowledge and skills to be taught in all year groups has been mapped out by the DT lead ensuring that all work covered is progressive. Key vocabulary has also been identified for each unit of work. (Document available below).

Our youngest children in nursery, work on their goals from Development Matters (Document below). They have three planned DT projects Building homes, Brilliant Biscuits and Nesting boxes. Additionally, to the specific planned units of work our children in nursery have many opportunities to experience DT such as making toast and porridge and creating 3D models using junk model materials.

Our Reception class take their objectives from Development Matters and The Early Learning Goals (ELG - see document below) Our reception children study the following units Tasty porridge, Feeding the birds (bird feeders) and Emergency vehicles (Junk modelling). By the end of the EYFS stage, our children should have had some DT experiences that will prepare them for learning in Key Stage 1.

In Key Stage 1, our pupils have many opportunities to experience DT in its various forms: including cooking and nutrition, Architecture and Structures, Mechanisms and Mechanical systems and Textiles. All of the units delivered in KS1 aim to prepare the pupils for future DT work that will be taught in KS2. The skills gained in KS1 should allow our pupils to make continued progress as they use and apply previous skills and knowledge.

In Key Stage 2, all children are building upon the skills and knowledge learnt in previous DT units. Every child has the opportunity to enhance their cooking and nutrition skills as they prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes and begin to understand seasonality, knowing where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed. In KS2 the children begin to investigate and explore in greater depth the four DT processes of research, design, making and evaluating. It is important that our children leave at the end of KS2 with a solid foundation of the DT principals so that they are prepared to transition into high school where their DT experiences will continue to progress. 

Equal opportunities, Special Educational Needs and Differentiation

Children with Special Educational Needs have equal access to equipment, tools and resources they require. Activities and learning may be differentiated or a child supported to ensure that each individual child’s needs are met in order for them to be able to make effective progress in their knowledge and skills. In order to give pupils of all abilities access to design and technology at an appropriate level, teachers will need to carefully ensure planning is considered and when necessary pupils are supported, resources are used to scaffold or. tasks a differentiated appropriately.

We want our children to know more and remember more!

All children focus on three units of DT work per academic year. Each year group will cover one unit of cooking and nutrition with two additional units that focus on other DT disciplines. During their Primary School journey at Lydiate Primary every child will revisit each of DT disciplines twice. This is to ensure every child has an opportunity to experience all of the DT disciplines and use, apply and develop existing skill and knowledge.   

Scheme - PlanBee 

Design Technology is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum. We currently plan and deliver learning using the scheme Plan Bee, with specific units of work allocated to each year group.

The DT lead has used this resource to create a bespoke curriculum that is unique to our school and covers the full DT curriculum in KS1 and KS2. Development Matters and Early Learning Goals have been used to design schemes of work for our Early Years children.

Each unit of work builds progressively from EYFS to year 6. By revisiting different disciplines of DT our children are able to revisit, apply and use skills and concepts previously taught.

Preparing our Pupils for Life - The Impact

To ensure our pupils are achieving and making good steps of progress the DT lead has built in key assessment statements into each unit. Teachers use these assessment statements to unpick children’s knowledge and then address any misconceptions there may be to ensure all children can take their learning further.

All of our medium term plans identify previous DT learning so that teachers can quickly identify what children should already know. Teachers may like to revisit key vocabulary, concepts and knowledge before progressing with another unit that will further develop previous skills and knowledge.

As lead of DT I regularly plan in opportunities to observe and monitor DT teaching and learning across the school. It is vital that we continually monitor impact and progress to ensure all of our pupils are making progress and producing work of the highest quality. As part of monitoring process the DT lead may speak to pupils, sit in on lessons and scrutinise books.

We believe that our pupils leave us with a good foundation for various forms of Design and Technology. Our curriculum is designed to allow children to know more and remember more. Our children are building their knowledge on the four different DT processes and begin to understand how different aspects of DT help to make real and relevant changes in our world. DT is essential in helping our pupils identify and explore different profession and career options that are related to DT.

Lydiate Futures

As DT lead I am constantly looking and considering ways in which we can enhance the children’s DT experiences. Many of our DT units have been carefully linked to experiences that the children can engage with in the local community. We want our children to see DT in action and so experiences outside of school are essential in allowing children to make real and relevant links.  An example of this is the local fire service visiting our year 2 class with a fire engine as they embark on a mechanisms unit that encourages them to research, design, make and evaluate a fire engine.

It is hoped that soon we will begin to make home/school links where pupils are encouraged to take and explore their DT skills at home. Projects and competitions are an exciting opportunity for the whole family to get involved in a subject that is vital in preparing and inspiring our future engineers, designers, architects, carpenters and chefs and many more.

Want to Know More?

Any Parent/Carer who wishes to know more about our DT curriculum can make an appointment to see Miss Dower. Please do so via contacting the school office. There are also some useful documents and websites below.