D&T
Intent: Our Subject Vision
At Roberttown we aim to inspire a love of Design & Technology! We want our children’s aspirations and ambitions to be limitless to grow up being inspired to become engineers, architects, digital designers and food technologists. Our Design & Technology curriculum has been carefully crafted to enable our children to develop their Design & Technology capital while considering the needs of individuals and society within a caring community. We want our children to remember their Design & Technology lessons in school, to cherish the memories and embrace the Design & Technology opportunities they are presented with, whilst recognising the impact of local influences, such as the textile mills, the historical aspiration of industry and reflecting the cultural diversity that our local area demonstrates.
Implementation: Our Approach
At Roberttown School we share the aims of the national curriculum for Design & Technology and the way design technology is taught at our school has been reviewed and follows a consistent structure. To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Design & Technology, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school. Starting in Early Years children learn to construct with a purpose in mind. Through specific lessons to develop skills and access to continuous provision resources, children develop the initial skills of product design. In Key Stage 1 units of work are planned on a two year cycle, while all units in each Key Stage cover the skills, knowledge and outcomes that need to be met. D.T. is taught as discrete lessons or chunked for reinforcement opportunities or to provide time for the acquisition of new skills. D.T. is taught by individual class teachers, supported by the Subject Leader.
All pupils explore and practice the practical skills involved in the topic and then design, make, evaluate and refine their final products. This approach aims to ensure that all pupils:
- design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values
- apply their knowledge of maths, science, engineering, computing, art & design to design & technology
- make prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- critique, evaluate and test own ideas and products and the work of others
- take risks, become more resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable young citizens
- evaluate the past and the present design and technology and evaluate its impact on daily life and the wider world
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
At Roberttown School Design & Technology curriculum promotes curiosity and a thirst for learning. It is ambitious and empowers our children to become independent and resilient – like all curriculum areas.
We want to equip children not only with the minimum statutory requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. For example, we have wonderful school grounds and vegetable beds where the children frequently visit, cultivate and harvest what they grow every year. Vegetables are used as part of our cookery lessons and the children harvest their home-grown vegetables and turn them in to soup to enjoy as part of Harvest Festival celebrations. This event celebrates the work we do in our school gardens by harvesting our crops, whizzing them up into a delicious soup and sharing it with others.
