DT

Design and Technology at St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary Academy

Here at St. Peter and St. Paul, we have found that Design & Technology is often one of a child’s favourite subjects. Children like making decisions for themselves and doing practical work. They love creating products they can see, touch – and even taste – for themselves. They feel proud to have done so. D&T brings learning to life. It is a motivating context for discovering literacy, mathematics, science, art, PSHE and computing. Design and Technology in primary schools develops children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. It encourages children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues.

Intent

We provide a planned sequence of lessons to ensure we have progressively covered the knowledge, understanding and skills required in the National Curriculum. We aim to inspire children through a broad range of practical experiences to create innovative designs which solve real and relevant problems within a variety of different contexts. Children are given opportunities to identify real and relevant problems, critically evaluate existing products and then take risks and innovate when designing and creating solutions to the problems. As part of the process, time is built in to reflect, evaluate and improve on prototypes using design criteria throughout to support this process. Opportunities are provided for children to evaluate key events and individuals who have helped shape the world, showing the real impact of design and technology on the wider environment and helping to inspire children to become the next generation of innovators.

Implementation

A series of lessons, within each year group, will offer teaching of skills and understanding. Lessons allow for the revision of ideas to become part of good practice and ultimately help to build a depth to children's understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lessons help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each lesson.

Through our D & T lessons here at St. Peter and St. Paul, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of Design and Technology and see how it has helped to shape the ever-evolving technological world we live in.

Impact

We aim to ensure that Design and Technology is enjoyed by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to continue building on this wealth of skills and understanding, now and in the future. Impact can also be measured through questioning skills built into lessons. Children show competences in improving their resilience and perseverance by continually evaluating and improving their work. All children in school can speak confidently about their design and technology work and their skills.