Carlton Colville Primary School

Below is our whole school DT overview for this academic year. For more detailed information about DT, please view the termly overviews within each of the year group class pages.

At Carlton Colville we believe Design Technology is a practical subject that allows children to think imaginatively and creatively. It allows children to become more autonomous and effective problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Our intention is to provide children with a rich and enjoyable experience of DT, in which they can acquire and develop their own designing and making skills in line with our school’s identified “curriculum drivers” and learning skills (Aliens).

We provide many opportunities for children to design, create, evaluate and adapt products, to develop their skills and confidence, to appreciate a wide variety of products and begin to make their own judgements about the quality of products.

To be a designer at Carlton Colville we focus on the following DT learning intentions:

• To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making.
• Significant levels of originality and the willingness to take creative risks to produce innovative ideas and prototypes.
• To enable children to think and talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas.
• To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques to make quality products, whilst following safe procedures.
• To develop an understanding of technological processes, products, their manufacture and their contribution to our society.
• To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making products.
• To explore and understand the place of design technology in the wider world.
   

The Design Technology curriculum is led and overseen by our STEM Team. A regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and staff support takes place along with the celebration and sharing of good practice. There is an ongoing commitment to evolve and improve the quality and impact of DT on offer to all the children. 

Through our curriculum, the school uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches in DT lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in the subject. Teachers ensure that children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, during planning and making products and when evaluating them. This is done through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual or group activities. Within lessons, children are given the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect. Children critically evaluate existing products, their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including technology.

In all classes there are children of differing DT ability. This fact is recognised and suitable learning opportunities are provided for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. This is achieved through a range of strategies such as:

• Setting common tasks that are open-ended and can have a variety of outcomes;
• Setting tasks of increasing difficulty where not all children complete all tasks;
• Providing a range of challenges through the provision of different resources;
• Using additional adults to support the work of individual children or small groups;
• Providing support/challenge where individual children have particular gifts or talents.

Children are continually assessed focusing on the breadth and depth of their learning. Teachers will continually assess the acquisition of skills and knowledge throughout each session and will reinforce, support or challenge pupils accordingly to deepen their understanding and master techniques. Pupils are encouraged to peer and self-assess, e.g. considering the effectiveness of their design/product and how it can be improved. As the children move through each year group, class teachers are assessing against the key indicators specifically if the children are working at a basic level, advanced level or deep level of learning. 

Our school has a wide range of resources to support the teaching of DT across the school. Classrooms have a range of basic resources, with the more specialised equipment being kept in our DT cupboard or in specific year group areas. These are accessible to children only under adult supervision. The STEM Team liaises regularly with each year group to ensure they have the resources they need for each area of the DT curriculum.

All staff can continually liaise with the STEM Team when support is required as well as being signposted to relevant training courses. There is a wealth of information and support for teachers about every aspect of DT online and the STEM Team pass this on as/when needed. The STEM Team keeps up to date and attends training as needed.

Assesment
Our bespoke assessment systems enables teachers to make informed judgements about the depth learning and the progress each pupil has made over time. Critically this then enables teachers to identify and therefore address any gaps in pupil’s DT knowledge.
Through skilled questioning, teachers pick up on any misconceptions which they rectify through live feedback during the lessons and through marking of pupils' work.

• Children receive a well thought out DT curriculum which allows for progression across milestones in all areas of DT (textiles, mechanisms, materials, construction, food and electrical systems).
• Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience.
• Teachers have ownership and flexibility to plan for Design and Technology.
• Each project from Year 1 to Year 6 addresses the principles of designing, making, evaluating and incorporating relevant technical vocabulary.
• Exposure to a range of designers, craftspeople, engineers and chefs from around the world, further enhances the pupils’ cultural capital.
• Children have demonstrate enjoyment and confidence in DT.
• Children learn skills and attributes that will benefit them beyond school and into adulthood such as: the ability to use time efficiently, work with others, show initiative, independence, resilience and manage risks effectively.