Design and Technology at Birchfield School

“Design and Technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizzkids turn their bright ideas into useful products.” – James Dyson.

Intent:

At Birchfield, our Design and Technology (DT) curriculum is a practical subject that inspires and encourages pupils. The DT curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. Through the DT curriculum, our pupils will be inspired by diverse engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose. We want them to have no limits to their ambitions. Our pupils will learn about cooking, food and nutrition, ensuring that they acquire the fundamental life skills in order to be able to feed themselves healthily and independently, whilst learning about where food comes from, therefore making connections with their geographical and scientific knowledge.

At Birchfield School, we want to prepare our pupils with the opportunities and skills they will need to be successful in this subject in later life and unlock their potential to be the designers and innovators of tomorrow

The DT projects for each year group provide opportunities to revisit and apply skills in different contexts. The progression within year groups allows children to revisit techniques and apply previous learning to construct and create new designs and products across a variety of materials and purposes. By the time children reach Year 6, they would have had experience of food technology, textiles, design and construction. They will have used a range of tools, resources and materials, including the use of IT, to create effectively constructed and aesthetically pleasing results. They will have learned to evaluate, adapt and improve their work, providing them with not only a sense of achievement but a strong foundation for the next step of their learning and a key skill for life.

Implementation:

Through this, pupils acquire technical knowledge and vocabulary whilst also drawing on disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art. Our units are designed based on guidance from the Design and Technology Association, with a focus on food and nutrition, mechanisms, structures, textiles and electrical systems. Key skills and knowledge have been carefully mapped across the school to ensure that learning is sequential and progressive.
Each child has a DT book. Pupils use this to research products, develop design ideas and initial sketches, and showcase learned skills, technical knowledge and vocabulary, final designs, and evaluations.

Our pupils’ journey into DT begins in Reception where there is a continuous provision of design and technology opportunities, allowing pupils to explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques. Pupils are encouraged to develop their making skills whilst handling appropriate tools and construction materials safely and with increasing control. Pupils will also begin to develop an awareness of design and technology products within their daily lives and how things work e.g. pressing a button, pulling a lever.

The Design and Technology curriculum follows the investigate, design, make and evaluate cycle.

Investigate

Pupils investigate and analyse a range of existing products to understand how individuals and key events have shaped design and technology globally.

Design- (Purpose & Criteria):

Our enquiry approach enables design to be rooted in real-life, relevant contexts, where children design products with a purpose and an intended user of the products in mind. They use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing and fit-for-purpose products. Planning should be through appropriate formats ie. annotated sketches, patterns/templates, communicating ideas verbally and prototypes/’mock-ups’.

Make – (Making Techniques):

Whilst making, children will be given a wide range of tools, materials and components including textiles, construction equipment and ingredients. They build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills (ie. cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) in order to make high-quality prototypes and products for a range of users.

Evaluate – (Review & Evaluate):

Pupils at Birchfield learn to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products as well as the work of others. In addition, they learn to evaluate their work against their own design criteria and consider the views of others in order to improve their work. In order to enhance our provision further, we have made links with people involved in careers associated with DT. Our pupils take part in webinars and career talks about different occupations. The subject leader for DT attends a subject community for DT in order to share good practice and to continually ensure that we are up-to-date with new initiatives and curriculum developments. Staff have received training to develop their subject knowledge of DT and in addition to this, they have access to subject specific training as part of our National College subscription.

Impact:

Pupils at Birchfield know more, remember more and understand more about DT. Assessment of children's learning in DT takes the form of ongoing monitoring of pupil's understanding, knowledge and skills using key questioning skills built into lessons by the class teacher. Summative assessment is conducted termly by class teachers across each year group and is aimed at targeting next steps in learning as well as informing teachers/leaders of progress and skills/knowledge still to be embedded. They retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning.

By the time pupils leave our school, they have:

The ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.

The ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs.

The ability to act as responsible designers and makers, using a range of materials carefully and working safely. They will understand the importance of sustainability and selecting materials that can be recycled.

A thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.

A thorough understanding of each stage of the investigate, design, make and evaluate cycle.

Well-developed knowledge and skills within the curriculum.