Design Technology at Water Mill
Water Mill Primary School
Design and Technology
Intent
At Water Mill we believe that a successful curriculum will ensure that our children are proud of their achievements and are prepared and positive about the future because, no matter what they face, they will know that: ‘Anything is Possible’.
Design and Technology is a prime opportunity for children to understand that anything is possible with a little creativity and imagination. We aim to equip children to be effective designers and developers. Our curriculum sets out to give pupils the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary to solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.
We have developed a sequenced and progressive scheme of work that challenges pupils to apply a broad range of subject knowledge in order to, become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through their evaluation of past and present design and technology, we aim to inspire them to develop a critical understanding of the impact D.T. has on their daily lives and the wider world.
Implementation
As a school, and in accordance with the National Curriculum’s expectations, we aim 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.
Beyond this and in line with the Design and Technology Associations guidance, we structure the teaching of Design and Technology around D.A.T.A.’s 3 core activities:
- Activities which involve investigating and evaluating existing products
- Focused tasks in which children develop particular aspects of knowledge and skills
- Designing and making activities in which children design and make 'something' for 'somebody' for 'some purpose'
Formative assessment is used intuitively by staff to identify pupil’s specific needs. This informs planning, support and differentiation to ensure that all children are able to access suitable challenge and engagement in real world problems.
The subject leader takes responsibility for ensuring that all pupils know more and remember more about Design Technology. As such, they have developed a clear oversight of the subject; supporting the development plans as well as reviewing completed work and pupil interviews in order to ensure breadth of curriculum, quality of coverage and impact on learning.
Concepts
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Concept |
Explanation |
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Design |
A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is made. |
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Nutrition |
The nourishment or energy that is obtained from food consumed or the process of consuming the proper amount of nourishment and energy. An example of nutrition is the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. An example of nutrition is eating a healthy diet. |
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Technology |
Technology is science or knowledge put into practical use to solve problems or invent useful tools. |
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Data |
Data is "known facts". It especially refers to numbers, but can also mean words, sounds, and images too. Originally, data is the plural of the Latin word datum which means "give". |
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Evaluate |
To evaluate is the act or the result of evaluating a situation that requires careful consideration to determine the value, nature, character, or quality of something. |
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Functionality |
The quality or state of being functional. A design that is admired both for its beauty and for its functionality: the set of functions or capabilities associated with something. |
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Innovation |
The process of making (something) new or doing something in a new way. Innovation also has to include the concept of improvement; to innovate is not just to do something differently, but to do or make something better. |
N.B. There are close links in approach between Design Technology and Computing, see the Computing Policy for further details about Computational Thinking concepts and approaches.
Impact
The impact of our D.T. Curriculum will be that children will know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology.
In particular, the will be confident at:
- posing problems to be solved in a context they understand
- experimenting and investigating with different techniques and media
- creating own design work, applying new techniques, skills and media to own design work
- critically evaluating their own design work and improving work after evaluation.