Design and Technology
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'Technology makes possibilities. Design makes solutions.' John Maeda |
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Intent Design and Technology prepares children to deal with tomorrows rapidly changing world. At Manor Park, we want children to be able to apply their own ideas to create real-life solutions to needs within the current world we live in. We aim to provide opportunities for our children to create products for a range of purposes, developing a variety of relevant and adaptable skills and habits that are built upon as they progress through the years (and are life-long*). It encourages children to become independent thinkers and solve problems creatively, as individuals and as part of a team. |
At Manor Park, the children have the opportunity to complete one design and technology project per term in order to develop a wide set of practical skills throughout their school career. Projects are selected to make cross curricular links building on prior knowledge and using roads maps. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.
The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
- 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.
Implementation
Our DT curriculum is delivered through projects that include the three stages of design, make and evaluate. Working walls are displayed in classrooms which allows children to consistently see good models and the vocabulary needed to articulate their opinions in design & technology. Teachers refer to the working walls when modelling concepts or solving design problems, which is a crucial strategy for enabling pupils to become independent. Pupils are supplied with all the materials and tools needed to create a functional product in the classroom. Children are given the opportunity to critically evaluate their own work and that of others.
Impact
Children have a set of DT skills embedded. They can talk about real life designers or designs and the impact they have had on the world. They have developed and become confident in the many characteristics of learning such as: resilience, resourcefulness, creativity and problem solving.
We use a range of strategies to assess these skills and knowledge including the following:
*Book monitoring
*Self assessment
*Pupil voice
*Feedback each lesson