Design & Technology

Intent

The 2014 National Curriculum content for design and technology was less detailed and prescriptive than previously but a lot of the disciplines and detail of the older curriculum are still considered by St. Lawrence teachers when they plan lessons (which is considered good practice by D&T specialists). In the school’s recently updated long term plan, it was ensured that D&T topics across both key stages rotated around 5 key areas: structures, textiles, mechanical systems, electrical systems and cooking/nutrition. This allows children to learn and develop ideas from market analysis through to final manufacture and evaluation. We have recently bought membership to the D&T Association – their resources and advice will benefit teaching and learning right across the school for example, the reputed resource “Projects on a Page” (available from the D&T Association) will be incorporated into our planning options next year to broaden the range of projects.

With the initiative for St. Lawrence to become an Eco School, it is our intention to use more recycled and environmentally friendly materials for D&T right across the school.

Implementation

This subject is taught every half term in school, often alternating with art. Sometimes, D&T projects are sequenced together over a couple of weeks rather than spread over the half term to give projects more continuity. Often D&T projects are selected to link with a year group’s overarching topic for the term, to give more of a context for the children; for example, the year 5/6 children making milk shakes as part of a more general topic looking at milk. Depending on the complexity of the project, children may work individually, in pairs or in small groups to develop designs, select materials and make and evaluate their final project. The Cookery Room/Breakfast Kitchen and its resources are used to support a wide range of cooking projects. Designs are recorded in different formats ranging from simple sketches in KS1 through to detailed, labelled sketches and computer aided software in KS2. From Autumn term 2022, classes have started to record evidence from D&T lessons on to our home learning platform, Seesaw. The video, audio and other interactive tools on Seesaw provide good opportunities for children to record different parts of the design and make process during projects.

Impact

There is evidence of children developing a range of D&T skills across the school: KS1 children developing their cutting, shaping, joining and finishing techniques; and in KS2, children using a wider range of tools, equipment and materials to design and make products. Children enjoy talking about their designs and talking about the problems they have had and overcome during the making process. There is general progression in the quality and complexity of D&T projects in school. In a Year 5/6 survey conducted in the Spring Term 2023, most children voted D&T as one of their top 3 subjects studied and they particularly enjoy the practical elements of the

subject and cooking projects. Product analysis and final product evaluation is forming a bigger part of D&T projects across the school and more evidence of this is being accumulated on Seesaw.