Design and Technology
Subject Lead – Mrs Pollock
At St Joseph’s, we believe that Design and Technology should be 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.
The children at St Joseph’s are taught to acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.
High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
The aims of the Curriculum for Design and Technology are 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.
Key Stage One
Design
- design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
- generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology
Make
- select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
- select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics
Evaluate
- explore and evaluate a range of existing products
- evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria
Technical knowledge
- build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
- explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products. •
Cooking and nutrition
•use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
•understand where food comes from.
Key Stage Two
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 and exploded 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],
- accurately select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials,textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities
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
Technical knowledge
- apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
- understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages)
- understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
- apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
Cooking and nutrition
- understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
- prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
- understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
In order to achieve the above, we follow a specific Curriculum for Design and Technology, our curriculum is organised into blocks with each block covering a particular set of disciplines, including food and nutrition, mechanisms, structures, systems, electrical systems, understanding materials and textiles. Vertical progression in each discipline has been deliberately woven into the fabric of the curriculum so that pupils revisit key disciplines throughout their Primary journey at increasing degrees of challenge and complexity. Vocabulary forms a key part of our wider curriculum. Subject specific Tier 2 and Tier 3
words are incorporated in each module and pupils are encouraged to develop their own
‘Vital Vocabulary’.
In addition to the core knowledge required to be successful within each discipline, the curriculum outlines key aspects of development of Working as a Designer. Each module focuses on promoting different aspects of these design competencies.
Click below to view our Long Term Overview for Design and Technology:
