DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (DT) AT FAIRLIGHT

Fairlight Curriculum Intent for Design and Technology.

Primary National Curriculum for Design and Technology 2014

“Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, 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. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.”

With these aspirations, our intent for the Design and Technology curriculum at Fairlight is:

• To develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate and contribute in a subject that supports creativity, culture and wellbeing.
• To build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to become problem solvers who can work creatively on a shared project. High-quality D&T lessons give children the knowledge they need and inspire them to think independently and innovatively to develop the creative, procedural and technical understanding to design and make high-quality products for a wide range of users.
• Through exposure to a broad range of media, children will have opportunities to research, critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products in a way that supports risk taking, innovation and resourcefulness.
• To understand and apply the principles of nutrition and hygiene, and learn how to cook with local and seasonal products where appropriate.

We will implement these intentions by:

At Fairlight, teachers provide a range of design tasks and challenges that develop children’s creativity and encourage them to think about important issues innovatively and sensitively.

Our medium term plans develop investigative and evaluative skills, designing and making skills, technical knowledge; food technology is taught across the school with children developing an understanding of where food comes from, the importance of a varied and healthy diet and how to prepare this.

The skills learned through each Design and Technology projects are closely linked to other subject areas wherever possible; for example, knowledge about the properties of materials supports children’s work in science and measuring accurately supports their learning in maths.

We ensure steady progression in skills throughout the school by using The Design and Technology Association scheme of work to form the core of our D&T curriculum. This scheme has enables a strategic sequence of study that builds content and concepts over time, with skills and vocabulary comprehensively structured and sequenced across year groups with progression in knowledge.

The impact of this learning at Fairlight will be that children:

• Have the knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• Have the ability to demonstrate creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
• Are able to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
• Can apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet and use a range of cooking techniques.
• Understand seasonality and the origins of a variety of ingredients.