DT

Here at Choppington Primary, we aim 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 Design and Technology curriculum, 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. Our progressive units enable pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those in the National curriculum.

 

EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils’ to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals

 

The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process:

 

 

 

 

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.

 

The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings: Design, Make, Evaluate, and Technical knowledge.

 

We have taken these subheadings to be our Primary strands:

 

Our Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. Our National curriculum overview shows which of our units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the four strands. Our Progression of skills shows the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.

 

 

Through our Design and technology scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas.

 

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.

 

Our units are part of 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. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.