Teaching Design and Technology at Haselworth Primary School

Intent

We aim to offer a challenging and engaging Design and Technology curriculum that prepares children to deal with tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Its purpose is to encourage children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as individuals or as part of a team.

How do we teach Design and Technology

Design Technology is taught in all year groups through at least one topic per term, which includes one topic relating to food. Design Technology projects are often made cross-curricular, linking to other subjects taught. All teaching of DT follows the design, make and evaluate cycle and each stage is rooted in technical knowledge.

The aims of teaching DT in our school 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 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.

Implementation

Due to having mixed age classes, the school has a two-year rolling programme (Cycle A and Cycle B) so that all national curriculum requirements are fully covered without children repeating the same topics. The curriculum map outlines the termly topic and in which cycle it is taught. These topics form the basis of the learning journey.  

The learning journey details previous assessment outcomes, National Curriculum links, the substantive and disciplinary skills/knowledge that are taught/practised by children, the learning objective, the learning tasks, key vocabulary, resources, links with other subjects and assessment information. The learning journeys are adapted and refined according to a teacher's assessment so that the planning is responsive to the needs of all learners. We ensure that children of all abilities have the opportunity to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in this way, so that children are increasingly challenged as they move through school

At Haselworth Primary School we provide a variety of opportunities for DT learning inside and outside the classroom.  Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional learning outside the classroom. 

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

 

Key Stage 1

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts, (for example the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment).

•    explore and use mechanisms, (for example levers, sliders, wheels and axles), in their products.

Key stage 1- Food and Nutrition:

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes 

• understand where food comes from. 

 

Key Stage 2

Within key stage 2 key events and individuals that have influenced the world of Design Technology are teaching focuses that are to be covered.  The use of computer programmes and applications are also a key focus to be utilised by children in their design of their products.

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts, for example, the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment. 

When designing and making, pupils should be 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 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, such as 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 as gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages)

•   understand and use electrical systems in their products, (for example series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors) 

•   to apply their understanding of computing to programme, monitor and control their products.

 

Key stage 2 – Food and Nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life. 

Pupils should be taught to: 

• 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 
• to understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed. 

Inclusion including Special Educational Needs Disability (SEND) / Pupil Premium / Higher Attainers

At Haselworth Primary School we teach Design and Technology to all children, whatever their ability. Through high quality initial teaching, we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make progress. We do this through appropriate task design which meets each child’s individual needs. Teachers will also take into account the targets set for individual children in their Individual Education Plans and Individual Behaviour Plans as appropriate. We recognise that learners have differing needs and provide suitable learning opportunities for all by matching the challenge of the activities to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies:

• setting common learning activities that are open-ended and can have a variety of results;
• setting learning of increasing difficulty where not all children complete all tasks;
• setting specific learning according to individual needs and targets ;
• grouping children by ability and setting different tasks for each group;
• mixed ability grouping which facilitates peer support;
• providing a range of challenges through the provision of different resources and scaffolds;
• using additional adults to support the work of individual children or small groups.

Equality

All teaching and learning of DT will ensure that every child has the right to be included and supported as far as possible in the knowledge that there is equality in terms of opportunity, social background, race, gender and disability.

Assessment and Recording

Teachers assess children’s work in Design and Technology by making assessments as they observe them working during lessons and through marking/feedback. They record the progress that children make by assessing the children’s work against the learning objectives. Teachers annotate the planning and amend/refine as required to meet the needs of learners. 

Throughout the learning journey, teachers make a judgement against the National Curriculum statements as well as the substantive and disciplinary knowledge/skills identified by the school. Assessments are recorded on the learning journeys. Teachers then use the data to plan the future work of each child and to make an annual assessment of progress for each child, as part of the annual report to parents. Each teacher passes this information on to the next teacher at the end of each year as part of the school's transition processes

Health and Safety

The safety of the children is the responsibility of the class teacher. The children are made  aware of the safe use and correct procedure involved when using tools and equipment in a  learning environment and how to follow proper procedures for food safety and hygiene. The children are made aware of the need to be careful and to understand that their actions  can affect others.

It is the duty of all staff to:

• Recognise and assess the hazards and risks to themselves and others when working with food and other materials
• Take action to control these risks and hazards.

Teachers should be aware of the following:

• Children must not use cooking appliances unless under direct supervision from a responsible adult. The portable oven may be used in an area away from the children or with a barrier between at the teacher’s discretion
• Saws and other sharp objects (nails, needles, craft knives, etc) must be used under direct supervision. The teacher will make a judgement on the undertaking of activities involving sharp and / or potentially dangerous equipment depending on the age / ability of the children in his / her class. Some activities may be undertaken by an adult or in a small group or one to one situation as appropriate
• Perishable foodstuff must be stored safely and refrigerated if necessary. Care must be taken to ensure food is not used after the given sell by / use by date
• Teachers and adult support staff must oversee that cupboards, table tops, cooker etc, are clean and in working order
• Children must wash their hands before and after any contact with food and other potentially harmful substances
• Teachers must take into account possible food allergies to food such as nuts and should be aware of the location of any medication for the allergy.

Impact

The monitoring of the standards of children’s work and of the quality of teaching in Design and Technology is the responsibility of the STEM and Wellbeing Curriculum Team. The team supports colleagues in the teaching of Design and Technology, being informed about current developments in the subject and providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school.

The following information outlines how the Curriculum Teams monitor, evaluate and review their subjects.

• Curriculum Teams use self-evaluation and write clear action plans and ensure that they are understood by all those involved in putting the plans into practice, including staff who are new to the school. These are reviewed termly and contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of the school development plan.
• Curriculum Teams follow a cycle of monitoring throughout the school for the academic year, ensuring that they can make judgements about the standards within their subjects. This includes learning walks, planning, books looks and pupil conferencing.
• Curriculum Teams report their impact to Governors. 
• Curriculum Teams ensure that teachers are clear about the teaching objectives in lessons, understand the sequence of teaching and learning in the subject, and communicate such information to pupils.
• Curriculum Teams ensure curriculum coverage, continuity and progression of substantive/disciplinary knowledge and skills in their subject for all pupils, regardless of their initial starting points. This includes having high expectations of all learners with SEND, EAL and those identified as being disadvantaged. 
• Curriculum Teams establish a clear, shared understanding of the importance and role of the subject in contributing to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development, and in preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
• Curriculum Teams use data effectively to identify pupils who are underachieving in the subject and, where necessary, create and implement effective plans of action to support those pupils