Design and Technology

INTENT

This curriculum is designed to support pupils acquiring all of the necessary design and technology knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the national curriculum. Extensive research indicates that pupils achieve better (design better) if they have a sound knowledge of the context of their design. Therefore, the curriculum has been created to support effective teaching by linking the learning to other topics taught during the term. This includes a broad range of opportunities to research existing designs and adapt their own design prototype whilst maintaining the integrity of the product.

A group of pupils at Tithe Farm have limited life experiences for their age and sometimes have limited exposure to the concepts of design, make and evaluate, using a range of materials and tools. This is evidence in the Reception Year group when baseline assessments indicate that 90% of pupils are below in Technology and exploring using media and materials. 40% of pupils are below in Moving and Handling a lack of dexterity in using tools. Where possible, the Design and Technology Curriculum has been created to address this need, whilst also supporting pupils to be innovative and apply their skills more broadly.

In addition to the curriculum outlined in this document, pupils are exposed to a designer of the term each year and participate in an enterprise event, linked to the summer fair.