Our Design Technology curriculum is both practical and structured, encouraging children to combine their growing knowledge, techniques and creativity. It aims to interest, engage and inspire children to think independently and innovatively.
Each unit is knowledge led, progressive and include the opportunity to explore and discover new techniques.
Our aim is that children develop techniques that can be used in all walks of life. We strongly believe that children should be equipped for the modern world, not only engaging with technology but also otherwise-forgotten life skills such as sewing. Therefore textiles is an eminent part of our curriculum.
Each of the Design Technology units have been designed to develop the children’s curiosity, building on techniques they are familiar with and strengthening their knowledge across the key stages.
Each unit is full of opportunities for the children to ask questions, explore answers, create designs of their own and evaluate their design decisions, all the time encouraging children to become independent thinkers, underpinned by progressive knowledge.
Every unit of work includes at least one important individual that relates to the area of study.
Children will become familiar with architects, designers, engineers, textile designers and chefs whilst developing their own knowledge in each of these areas.
We believe that over time, children will be familiar with a range of designers, as they are with artists and authors. This breadth of knowledge enables our children to raise their aspirations and open doorways they would not have otherwise considered.
By the time children leave Year 6, Our DT curriculum is designed to ensure children develop their creative, technical and practical abilities to confidently apply when creating products and during everyday tasks. They will build upon their knowledge, design and make process as well as evaluating and critiquing their ideas and products as they work. Children will also have an understanding of the importance of nutrition and learn key cookery skills.
Below are example documents and support from our curriculum intent.
Our DT curriculum follows progressions in tools, cooking & nutrition and textiles. Below is our textiles progression, which specifies in detail the procedural knowledge needed for children to be successful. Light grey text is new to the children with black text being knowledge introduced in previous years and now being deepened.
Our DT Outcomes document introduces the 'skills' children will use during that phase phase of the national curriculum, resulting in that project outcome. The knowledge children learn is specified in the progressions and unit plans - an example unit plan is below.