‘We Are Designers and Inventors’ at Powers Hall Academy 

 “Design and technology is a phenomenally important subject. Logical, creative and practical, it’s the only opportunity students have to apply what they learn in maths and science – directly preparing them for a career in engineering. Policy-makers must recognise design and technology’s significance for the UK economy and strive not just to preserve it – but to ensure it appeals to the brightest of young minds.”

James Dyson, Design and Technology Association Patron.

Intent

Design and Technology (DT) is a subject that brings together learning and experiences from three main concepts and skills:

• Creative and original thinking: children are encouraged to use their problem-solving skills and imagination, and to feel confident in taking their own original ideas from conception to reality when designing and making their products.
• Practical skills: children are taught the skills needed in order to successfully create appealing and functional products. They will develop these skills are they progress through school.
• Scientific and mathematical knowledge: children are taught that ‘technology’ means using what we know about science to make useful things. They are encouraged to see the links between what they may have learnt in Science or Maths and what they can design and create in DT.

At Powers Hall Academy, we recognise that design technology develops children's skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. It inspires children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues. Our design and technology curriculum aims to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about how things are created; the different materials that can be used and the effect the choice of materials may have on the ultimate result; the range of processes involved and how they can be used to best effect. Designing, creating and evaluating a project helps children to develop their thought processes, their ability to communicate their ideas and their ability to work as part of a team.  It gives them confidence to evaluate the designs of others, considering ways that things could be improved.

When delivering our Design and technology curriculum, teachers aim to expose children to a variety of real-world contexts linked to other curriculum areas and by learning about influential designers of past and present. Through this, the subject is brought to life and placed in a meaningful context which aims to not only help children know, remember and understand more, but also to encourage our young people to begin to imagine and consider further learning or careers in STEM fields.

Implementation

In Design and Technology, we follow the Cornerstones curriculum which ensures progression of skill and knowledge throughout the year groups and provides interesting, practical and high quality lessons.  Our children experience and make an informed choice when using a wide range of materials, structures, mechanisms and circuits, and test and explore how these can be improved.  They are given the skills to generate and communicate ideas and evaluate their own and others' work. 

Cross-curricular projects give us the opportunity to support learning in other areas of the curriculum. They are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s designing, planning, making and evaluating skills. The varied projects allow children to connect with different materials, reflect on design and from there plan and produce technologically astute products. We focus on the design and creative phases ensuring sessions are not art based but soley on product development and associated skills.

Each project is based around a design and technology subject focus of structures, mechanisms, cooking and nutrition or textiles. Our design and technology curriculum’s electronic systems and IT monitoring and control elements are explicitly taught in our science projects to ensure the links between the subjects are highlighted.

Where possible, meaningful links to other areas of the curriculum have been made. For example, the cooking and nutrition project Eat the Seasons is taught alongside the geography project Sow, Grow and Farm.

All the projects follow a structure where children are introduced to key concepts and build up knowledge and skills over time, using a more comprehensive range of equipment and building, cutting, joining, finishing and cooking techniques as they progress through school. All projects contain focused, practical tasks in the Develop stage to help children gain the knowledge and skills needed to complete their Innovate tasks independently.

Throughout KS2, children build up their knowledge and understanding of the iterative design process. They design, make, test and evaluate their products to match specific design criteria and ensure they fit their purpose. Throughout the projects, children are taught to work hygienically and safely.

Impact

After the implementation of Cornerstones Design and technology curriculum, children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in the subject that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They should  leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.

The expected impact is that children will:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
• Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.
• Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
• Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.
• Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.