Normanton Altofts Junior School

Design and Technology

Intent

As Designers and technologists, we do not just stop at our curiosity of how things work but instead look at how we can think creatively to problem solve and make products even better. At Altofts Junior, we have an understanding of the diversity of the world and the importance of exposing our pupils to a wide range of products that can inspire their curiosity and creativity, as well as the thought-processes involved in creating such products. Through this exposure, children take on the role of developer, evaluator and that of a critique, exploring how products can be developed or adapted for different users as well as creating and testing prototypes to give purpose to projects. Children need a hands on approach that also gives access to other areas of the curriculum such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art. Skills and techniques developed through Design and Technology are of great importance in our everchanging technological world to ensure that children are equipped for the next stages in their lives.

Implementation

Our Design and Technology curriculum is implemented through a variety of different projects over the children’s time at Altofts Junior. In addition to our teaching and learning, we provide a Design and technology based after school clubs including; cooking.

Children will complete 3 projects a year, either having one lesson a week or a block to complete each project so children are fully immersed in the design-make-evaluate process.

Children are given a variety of real life products to explore in great detail, expanding their knowledge of how they look and work, allowing children to evaluate products against their target market and purpose.

For each project, children follow the design-make and evaluate sequence, allowing children time to reflect upon their design and products and think of ways that they could be improved or adapted. Teachers support and model increasingly progressive evaluative skills to enable children to create products of a high-quality throughout school. Children are given a design brief to put the need for the product in context. Where possible, teachers ensure that the brief is linked to another area of their learning or has relevance to the children to inspire their imagination and eagerness to create and problem solve.

Safety is explained and modelled at the start of and throughout each product including food hygiene instructions.

Impact

As a year 6 Designer and Technologist, transitioning to secondary school, we aspire that pupils will have gained knowledge and understanding of different skills and techniques required to problem-solve by designing and creating a variety of products using a safe approach. They will have an understanding of the cross curricular elements within the subject and the importance of skills learnt in other areas of the curriculum and how they aid the design and make process, as well as how these techniques and skills will aid them in future life and learning.