Intent

At Hannah More we intend to give children the opportunity to develop original ideas and to design and make real products for people in our community. They are able to use their creativity, imagination and evaluation skills in each project by following the six interrelated DT principles of user, purpose, functionality, design decisions, innovation and authenticity.

The curriculum is designed so that DT is connected to a range of other subjects which enables children to link ideas and further their knowledge of the topic. This is supported through a strong emphasis on Oracy which ensures that children are able to confidently explain their design choices as well as their plans for making their product using the correct technical vocabulary.

Our DT curriculum provides rich learning opportunities within the local community from meeting a local milliner to studying the chocolatier J.S Fry who founded his company in Bristol. Through meeting and studying engineering experts, linking projects to real life experiences and giving children cookery and engineering opportunities outside the classroom we build cultural capital for our pupils. By providing life skills such as innovation, self-evaluation and an awareness of healthy eating through our DT lessons we aim to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Implementation

DT at Hannah More is taught throughout two or three enquiries during the year. One of these will be focused on cookery and nutrition and the rest on mechanisms, structures, textiles or electrical systems. The lesson can be stand alone or mixed with other subjects such as science, history or English.  Throughout their DT lessons the children engage in an iterative process; firstly investigating the target audience and exploring existing products before moving onto the cyclic process of designing, constructing and evaluating (see right). Lessons are planned to ensure six DT principles are followed, with children considering the user, functionality, purpose and authenticity of their product as well as being able to make design decisions and innovate. Safety is explained and modelled at the start of and throughout each project including food hygiene instructions.

As a school, we promote Design and Technology in the wider school through:

• Trips and Visitors for example a shadow puppet designer in Year 3.
• Clubs such as sewing club and papier-mâché club.
• STEM Week where year groups have a construction project linked to their enquiry such as to build an aqueduct that carries water in Year 3 or a floating, sail-powered ship in Year 6.
• Arts Week where each year group has a cookery project linked to a continent they are studying. During this week they may also have a further project linked to structures, mechanisms or textiles that reinforces previous learning.

During EYFS, pupils explore and play with a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities.

They have the opportunities to learn to:

• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas
• Be able to construct simple structures
• Use a range of small tools including scissors effectively and safely
• Begin to explain what they have constructed
• Prepare simple dishes safely and hygienically

Impact

Through our teaching of DT at Hannah More we aim to develop critical thinkers who are able to create and evaluate designs in the real world. Formative assessment is used throughout a DT enquiry to assess pupil’s skills and knowledge. Feedback is regularly given in verbal and written form and so children can make adjustments to aid better progress in their learning. By Year 6, pupils have gained the knowledge and skills required to problem solve by designing and creating products and can apply knowledge from other areas of the curriculum to help them succeed. They can work safely, hygienically and confidently using a variety of tools and materials. By enabling our children to ‘be engineers’ at school we open the door for them to become architects, designers, chefs, technicians and inventors as adults and allow them to thrive in an ever-changing technological world.