Design Technology

Intent

DT should provide children with a real life context for learning. At St. Thomas Becket, we want to encourage children to aspire to be more through creating opportunities for them in the wider world. Through the DT curriculum, children should be inspired to  create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real life purpose.

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Implementation

How Design Technology is taught:

All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge.  The design process should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to choose freely from. Children should be able to evaluate their own products. Each of these steps should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. 

In KS1 this looks like:

Design:

  • Design should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
  • Planned through appropriate formats: drawing, templates and talking.

Make:

  • Children should be given a range of tools for their projects to choose from.
  • Children should use a wide range of materials and components; textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

  • Evaluate existing products.
  • Evaluate their own products.

In KS2 this looks like:

Design:

  • Rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.
  • Researched designs based on functional, appealing products with purpose.
  • Planned by appropriate methods; annotated sketches, diagrams and computer aided design.

Make:

  • Children can select from a wider range of tools.
  • Children should use from and select a wider range of materials and components; textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

  • Evaluations should be in comparison to existing products.
  • Children should evaluate.
  • Children should understand how key events and individuals have helped shape design and technology globally.