Intent
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks and having fun” (Mary Lou Cook). At Ashfield Junior School, we encourage pupils to become passionate, resourceful and innovative designers who are capable of taking on new risks. Our Design and Technology North Star is that children will become innovators that will inspired to design and make products that solve real life problems. We feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design and explore the rapidly changing world in which we all live and work. Through our Design and Technology curriculum, pupils will acquire and apply their knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms, control systems, structures, and past and present products. Pupils will be given opportunities to work independently and collaboratively with each other to research, design, experiment, and evaluate their designs for strengths and weaknesses. It is our intent that pupils develop a critical understanding of the subject’s impact on daily life and the wider world.
Implementation
At Ashfield, children are prepared for tomorrow’s changing world through design and technology. It enables our young minds to develop into, resilient, imaginative problem solvers and thinkers who can work both individually and collaboratively. It gives individuals the ability to recognise needs and opportunities and respond to them by creating a variety of ideas, products, and systems.
Ashfield Junior School teaches Design and Technology to all year groups covering different components of the subject across KS2 including food technology, textiles, structure, mechanisms and electrical systems. Our KS2 curriculum, takes into account and builds on prior learning in each component from our local feeder school (Merry Hill Infant School).
All projects have a purpose, often linked with the school or local community, which can aid the user in achieving a goal. Our Design and Technology curriculum has a clear progression of skills and knowledge so that children have the opportunity to build on their learning as they progress throughout Key Stage 2. In our Food technology lessons, children will learn a range of skills, cook and create a range of food, as well as understand where food comes from. To support our food technology lessons, we use the expertise of our catering company (Caterlink) who prepare our school lunches so that children can have expert guidance on how to develop and master their skills. Our curriculum builds on learning from different years. For example, food technology will build on skills taught each year. Year 5 will create a moving toy building on mechanism skills and knowledge from Year 3 (moving monsters) and Year 2 at our feeder school (wheels and axis). Year 6 will build on their electrical systems (electronic card) from Year 5 (electronic game). In textiles, Year 3 children will use the running stitch to create a cushion and develop their skills further in Year 4 when they create a stuffed toy. In preparation for secondary school, children in Year 6 will use their sewing skills to practise sewing a button onto fabric and sewing up a hole – useful life skills that they can use after leaving Ashfield.
Each unit of work will have a sequence of learning which will involve exploring, designing, creating (making) and evaluating their finished products. Furthermore, our Design and Technology lessons will include:
Our Design and Technology lessons will include:
- A progression of D&T knowledge and skills
- A clear sequence of learning for each unit
- Specific D&T vocabulary for units of work and year group
- Provide opportunities to reflect and build on prior learning
- Develop skills for life
- Make links with other subjects in the curriculum
- Adaptive teaching and High Quality Teaching strategies
- Differentiated activities or support for children with SEND
Impact
- Children talk passionately about their learning in D.T. and talk enthusiastically sharing their knowledge and understanding
- Children demonstrate new knowledge and apply new skills
- Children use and apply a range of D.T technical vocabulary
- Children talk and produce purposeful work that demonstrates their understanding in D.T.
- Children understand that D.T. serves a purpose to solving real-life problems
- Children discuss their design ideas and how they can improve their work
- Children analyse and critically evaluate their own designs and that of others
Our children will be successful and engaged in lessons because:
- Teachers explain the purpose of D.T.
- Teachers use assessment for learning in lessons to support all learners
- Teachers build on a progression of skills and knowledge from the previous year
- Teachers make links and connections with prior learning in D.T. and in other curriculum subjects
- Teachers scaffold activities, model D.T. vocabulary and follow a sequence of learning so that all children can make progress