Design & Technology

Design Technology (DT) draws from many parts of the school curriculum. It aims to integrate the learning in many subjects into a practical form while fostering innovative design decisions to produce functional, authentic products with a clear purpose.

“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.” National Curriculum 2014

At St Lawrence Primary our intent is:

To provide our pupils with the knowledge and skills they will need in order to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world
To encourage pupils to apply creative thinking to make positive changes to their quality of life
To encourage pupils to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team
To enable pupils to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems
To allow pupils to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its impacts
To empower all pupils to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators
Ensure that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken.

Implementation:

Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products and then evaluating them.
Clear and appropriate cross curricular links through the Cornerstones Curriculum underpin learning to give the children opportunities to learn life skills and apply skills to ‘hands on’ situations in a purposeful context.
Within lessons, we give children the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect.
Children critically evaluate existing products, their own work and that of others.
They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.

Impact:

Children are able to express themselves through art and be able to justify their views and opinions on other people’ designs.
Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum.
Children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology, demonstrating this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities out of school.
The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology.
As designers, children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.