Design Technology
Intent
At Yattendon School, our Design and Technology curriculum reflects our vision of developing confident, curious and capable learners who aspire to make a positive contribution to the world around them. Through creative and practical experiences, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and resilience needed to design, make and evaluate products that solve real and meaningful problems.
Our curriculum is designed to nurture the qualities embodied within the Y Factor. Children are encouraged to be ambitious in their thinking, resilient when refining designs, collaborative when sharing ideas and reflective when evaluating outcomes. Through opportunities to innovate, create and problem-solve, pupils develop confidence in their ability to turn ideas into reality.
The curriculum is carefully sequenced around the National Curriculum and linked, where appropriate, to year group topics. Through the study of textiles, structures, mechanisms, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition, pupils gain an understanding of how design and technology influence everyday life whilst building the oracy, metacognition and enquiry skills that support lifelong learning.
Implementation
Design and Technology is taught through a progressive curriculum in which the key strands of textiles, structures, mechanisms, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition are revisited and developed throughout Key Stage 2. The design process of research, design, make and evaluate underpins every unit, enabling pupils to build upon prior learning and deepen their understanding over time.
Pupils begin each project by exploring existing products, identifying users and purposes, and gathering ideas through research. They learn to communicate their ideas through annotated designs before selecting appropriate tools, materials and techniques to create their products. Opportunities to test, refine and evaluate their work encourage children to think critically and improve outcomes through an iterative process.
Design and Technology is typically taught in blocks each term, allowing children to engage fully in the design process and maintain continuity throughout projects. New knowledge and practical skills are explicitly taught through modelling, demonstration and guided practice, enabling pupils to develop confidence, accuracy and independence. Links are deliberately made with subjects such as science, mathematics, computing and art to strengthen knowledge retrieval, support transferable learning and provide authentic contexts for application. Examples of designers, engineers, inventors and technological innovation are used to inspire pupils and demonstrate the significance of Design and Technology within society.
Impact
By the time they leave Yattendon School, pupils will have developed the knowledge, technical skills and creativity needed to engage successfully with future learning in Design and Technology. They will be able to design with purpose, make informed choices about materials and techniques, evaluate their work critically and refine ideas in response to testing and feedback.
Pupils will leave as resilient problem-solvers, reflective learners and confident communicators who are willing to take risks, learn from mistakes and embrace challenges. Through their experiences in Design and Technology, they will demonstrate the values and characteristics of the Y Factor, understanding how innovation, creativity and collaboration can be used to improve the world around them.