Design and Technology (DT)

At Windmill Hill Academy, we inspire pupils to be passionate lifelong learners by providing them with an ambitious broad and balanced curriculum, with the inclusion of a variety of enrichments, which will inspire them to have high aspirations. We inspire all learners to have strong desire to know or learn something and questioning their learning experiences to find out more. Throughout each year group and across the curriculum, pupils will make sustained progress, develop excellent knowledge, understanding and skills, regardless of their different starting points and backgrounds.
Overall curriculum
 
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.
 
They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.
 
Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens.
 
Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.
 
High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
 
Teachers will help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to participating and learning and make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ needed to include pupils. To make lessons inclusive, teachers will anticipate what barriers to taking part and learning may pose for pupils with SEND. Some modifications or adjustments will be made or smaller steps to achieve the learning goal. Occasionally, pupils with SEND will have to work on different activities, or towards different learning intentions, from their peers.
 
 
Pedagogy
 
Design and technology is taught once per term (split with art each term) and is linked to the main concept of the topic being taught. It is taught practically where pupils are encouraged to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts.
 
Pupils are encouraged to take risks, become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable members of the school and wider community.
 
They are encouraged to critically evaluate the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world.
 
At Windmill Hill Academy, we use Kapow DT to support our teaching and learning in Design and Technology.
 
Kapow DT ensures that Design and Technology makes a high-quality contribution to a broad and balanced primary curriculum, helping to raise standards in English and mathematics.
 
Kapow is based on the six essentials of good practice in D&T. They are consistent with the National Curriculum requirements and should be applied whenever children are designing and making products:
- User – children should have a clear idea of who they are designing and making products for, considering their needs, wants, interests or preferences. The user could be themselves, an imaginary character, another person, client, consumer or a specific target audience.
- Purpose – children should know what the products they design and make are for. Each product should perform a clearly defined task that can be evaluated in use.
- Functionality – children should design and make products that function in some way to be successful. Products often combine aesthetic qualities with functional characteristics. In D&T, it is insufficient for children to design and make products which are purely aesthetic.
- Design Decisions – when designing and making, children need opportunities to make informed decisions such as selecting materials, components and techniques and deciding what form the products will take, how they will work, what task they will perform and who they are for. 
- Innovation – when designing and making, children need some scope to be original with their thinking. Projects that encourage innovation lead to a range of design ideas and products being developed, characterised by engaging, open-ended starting points for children's learning.
- Authenticity – children should design and make products that are believable, real and meaningful to themselves i.e. not replicas or reproductions or models which do not provide opportunities for children to make design decisions with clear users and purposes in mind.
 
Teachers will help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to participating and learning and make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ needed to include pupils. To make lessons inclusive, teachers will anticipate what barriers to taking part and learning may pose for pupils with SEND. Some modifications or adjustments will be made or smaller steps to achieve the learning goal. Occasionally, pupils with SEND will have to work on different activities, or towards different learning intentions, from their peers.
 
In EYFS, all areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. These are stipulated in the ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’. The most relevant statements for design and technology are taken from the following areas of learning: 
- Physical Development
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
 
 
Assessment
Assessment is regarded as an integral part of teaching and learning and is a continuous process. There are planned opportunities within the curriculum plan to revisit learning from the current year but also previous year groups.
 
It is the responsibility of the class teacher to assess all pupils in their class. This is mainly achieved through mini-plenaries, questioning, observation, end of unit tasks, marking, feedback from support staff and pupil self-assessment.
 
End of year assessment is reported on Itrack and features on the annual report to parents.
 
The monitoring of the standards of children’s learning and the quality of learning and teaching of computing is the shared responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team and the subject leader. The work of the subject leader also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of DT, being informed about current developments in the subject, and providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. A named member of the school governing body is briefed to overview the teaching of the curriculum in the school.
 
When assessing pupils with SEND, there will be carefully planned opportunities in order for them to demonstrate what they know and are able to do, using alternative means where necessary. Where a pupil is unable to use particular types of equipment, assessment of attainment will be based on understanding of the processes used as demonstrated through oral and written responses or, where possible, through the use of alternative equipment.
 
In EYFS, the level of development children should be expected to have attained by the end of the EYFS is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs). These are not used as a curriculum or in any way to limit the wide variety of rich experiences that are crucial to child development. Instead, the ELGs support teachers to make a holistic, best-fit judgement about a child’s development, and their readiness for year 1.
 
 
Culture
 
Design and Technology is about providing opportunities for children to develop their capability. By combining their design and making skills with knowledge and understanding, they learn to create quality products. Design and Technology brings learning to life. It is a motivating context for discovering English, mathematics, science, art, PSHE and Computing. Primary Design and Technology also provides a firm basis for later learning in the subject and a platform for developing skills in English and Maths.
 
Collaborative work in DT develops mutual respect for the differing opinions, beliefs and abilities of others. In addition, children develop a respect for the environment, for their own health and safety and that of others. They learn to appreciate the value of similarities and differences and learn to show tolerance. A variety of experiences teaches them to appreciate that all people – and their views – are equally important.
 
 
Teachers will help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to participating and learning and make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ needed to include pupils. To make lessons inclusive, teachers will anticipate what barriers to taking part and learning may pose for pupils with SEND. Some modifications or adjustments will be made or smaller steps to achieve the learning goal. Occasionally, pupils with SEND will have to work on different activities, or towards different learning intentions, from their peers. For some activities, there may need to be a ‘parallel’ activity for pupils with SEND, so that they can work towards the same learning intentions as their peers, but in a different way. The use of technology to assist learning can removes barrier e.g. Widget, switches, text readers and speech and communicator devices. Screen filters may help with glare or using coloured backgrounds e.g. yellow background with blue script for dyslexic learners.
 
Because the range of hardware and software is wide and continually expanding, teachers will always seek to collaborate with the SENDCo or colleagues e.g. previous teacher, on removing barriers to learning and participation for particular pupils with SEND. Pupils will also be able to advise on the technologies that suit them best.
 
 
 
Systems
 
In EYFS, the most relevant statements for art are taken from the following areas of learning: 
- Physical Development
- Expressive Arts and Design
 
Reception
Physical Development
- Progress towards a more fluent style of moving, with developing control and grace. 
- Develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently.
- Use their core muscle strength to achieve a good posture when sitting at a table or sitting on the floor.
 
Expressive Arts and Design
- Explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings. 
- Return to and build on their previous learning, refining ideas and developing their ability to represent them.
- Create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills.
 
ELG
Physical Development: Fine Motor Skills
- Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paintbrushes and cutlery.
 
Expressive Arts and Design: Creating with Materials
- Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
- Share their creations, explaining the process they have used.
 
The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
 
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. The knowledge and skills organiser for design and technology (see below) demonstrates the progression through the year groups. It includes regular opportunities to revisit prior learning and build upon this.
 
At Windmill Hill Academy, we use the DT Kapow to support our teaching and learning in Design and Technology.
 
 
Policies/key documents
 
- Whole School Long term horizontal curriculum map 
- ADMAT Trust Skills Progression Map for Design and Technology
- Knowledge and Skills organiser for Design and Technology
- EYFS Curriculum overview
- SEND Policy
 
 
All of these can be found on our website under the curriculum/policies tab.