Gateway Academy Design Technology
“Good buildings come from good people, and all problems are solved by good design.” Stephen Gardiner
“What is design? It’s where you stand with a foot in two worlds- the world of technology and the world of people and human purposes- and you try to bring the two together.” Mitchell Kapor
Why do we study Design and Technology?
The National Curriculum states the purpose of study as follows:
“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.”
At Gateway, children learn to think and intervene creatively to improve quality of life, become autonomous and creative problem solvers both as individuals and as members of a team and to combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetics, function and industrial practices. Through quality teaching of Design and Technology, our pupils develop innovation and become discriminating and informed users of products, who are prepared to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly-changing technologies.
Through their study of the Gateway Design & Technology Curriculum, we intend that pupils will:
- Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook
Scope and Sequence
The Gateway Design and Technology Curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum as well as many of the principles set out by the scheme’s main authors, Primary DT.
From Year 1 to Year 6, all children study the 5 different strands of Design and Technology all sequenced through the principles of Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical Knowledge.
- Cooking and Nutrition
- Textiles
- Mechanical Systems
- Structures
- Electrical Programming
These strands are then repeated over the course of their time at Gateway, building in difficulty and the development of knowledge and skills. Key to our approach is progress through evaluation and reflection. Alongside practical skills and technical knowledge, the children are taught to value skills such as risk taking, determination and self awareness.
EYFS
In the Early Years, pupils will experiment to create different textures and to manipulate materials to achieve a planned effect such as potato printing, building sandcastles and using playdough, lolly sticks and blocks to make structures. They will construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources and simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately such as building simple vehicles from wood using saws, glue dots and wheels.
Key Stage 1
Building upon the skills and knowledge gained in EYFS and through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing, making and evaluating. The children are explicitly taught skills such as cutting, chopping, slicing, sewing, joining, finishing and constructing which are then repeated and built upon throughout Key Stage 2.
When designing and making, pupils are taught to:
- Design - design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.
- Make - select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing] as well as select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.
- Explore and evaluate - explore a range of existing products as well as evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.
- Technical knowledge - build structures, explore how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable, explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.
- Cooking and nutrition - as part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life. Pupils should be taught to use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes and understand where food comes from.
Key Stage 2
Using the skills, knowledge and processes gained in EYFS and taught in Key Stage 1, pupils further develop their expertise in a range of relevant contexts including the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment. During this time, pupils have the opportunity to design, make and evaluate while extending their skills and deepening their understanding with a wider range of tools, processes and technical knowledge.
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- Design - use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design that builds upon the pupils prior learning in Key Stage 1 through more challenging tasks that require detailed planning and problem solving, more refined skills that require practice and precision and more complex tools that require specific teaching.
- Make - select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities such as with the creation of tote bags in Year 6, which builds upon the sewing skills taught in Year 2 and Year 4.
- Evaluate - investigate and analyse a range of existing products, evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work and understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.
- Technical knowledge - apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages] understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors] apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
- Cooking and nutrition - As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life. Pupils should be taught to understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet, prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques, understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
Assessment
Through the use of electronic floor books that are worked into the lesson planning through a plenary and reference to prior learning, children are able to record work from the previous lessons and reflect on this at the start of lessons.
Teachers collect photographs and videos of learning for the children and apply them to a continuous slide set that is then kept with the year group throughout their time at Gateway, so can be used as a reference point for all future teaching and can inform planning though prior learning evidence.
Each level of learning builds upon the previous learning in that strand, so the production of a well made product that was designed, made and evaluated by the pupil is the basis for assessment.
Previous Projects
Year 4 Cirque du Soleil Project
As part of Year 4's Design and Technology curriculum, the children visited the Royal Albert Hall to see the latest Cirque Du Soleil show. The children then learnt how to build their own stages with moving parts and gears.
Year 4 worked with Rolls Royce engineers, Cirque du Soleil and The Royal Albert Hall on a design engineering project. Their brief was to design and make a prototype mechanical structure for Cirque du Soleil acrobats to perform on. In total 45 different prototypes were created by the children, all of which greatly impressed the Rolls Royce engineers. Last week, to celebrate their marvellous achievement, 6 representatives from Year 4 presented their prototypes to Rolls Royce at the Royal Albert Hall. The children's work, along with their grown-up presentation skills, amazed all who attended which included several other schools from around England.
How Parents Can Help
Design and Technology is everywhere. We are surrounded by it but often don't think about how and why things are the way they are. Take a moment with your children to consider some of the everyday household items that you own which have been affected by advances in Design and Technology. How have they changed in recent years and why? If your child has a keen interest in D&T then click on the links below. This will take you to a number of webpages which will help them to develop their D&T knowledge and understanding.
Further Support And Useful Weblinks
Please find below the links to some websites you may find useful when thinking about D&T at home with your child.
Eat Happy is the initiative linked to Tesco and ‘Farm to Fork’. On this page there are many useful recipes and activities associated with food preparation. The activities are fun to do and help children to become motivated in finding out where their food comes from. https://www.eathappyproject.com/at-home/
The teaching ideas websites below provide many ideas for various design projects that you can complete with your child at home.