Being an Engineer at Gomeldon Primary School - Design and Technology

Intent

At Gomeldon Primary School, we are committed to a high-quality, enquiry-based design and technology curriculum that will help pupils, in particular our most disadvantaged learners, to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of how design and technology make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation. Our curriculum will enable children to become engineers by collaborating through research, design and evaluating experiences.

Teachers will ensure that all children are exposed to high quality teaching and learning experiences. These will hook the children’s interest, enabling them to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about being an engineer. Our enquiry-based learning will enable the children to:

• 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.

The curriculum has been carefully sequenced across mixed-age year groups to ensure that all pupils are given multiple opportunities to explore mechanisms, structures, electrical systems, food and textiles during their time in school.

Our Design and Technology curriculum supports our “R Values”:

Resourcefulness: pupils will solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They will use a range of materials and adapt to working in a variety of settings (such as home, school, playground, local area).

Reflection: pupils will use their creativity and imagination to approach a range of projects. They will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on their previous learning in disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, Computing and Art. Pupils will reflect on their own work, and the work of others, and suggest improvements.

Resilience: pupils will learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative and enterprising. They will need to return from set-backs to change and improve products which may not initially work, or where someone has suggested changes.

Relationships: pupils will often need to work in a pair, or as part of a team, to complete their projects. Pupils will critique and evaluate and their ideas and products and the work of others in a constructive way. Pupils will recognise and celebrate the successes of others and take a supportive approach when other children face challenges.

Implementation

Through a range of specifically designed cross-curricular enquiries, learners are challenged to prove their understanding of the key concepts associated with being an engineer. This is achieved through well-structured, progressive mixed-age planning that covers the four main areas of design and technology; Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical knowledge. This will be taught in a sequence of experiences that may be one lesson a week but is more likely to be spread throughout an enquiry. Through these experiences, the work of a diverse range of engineers will be explored to enhance the children's learning and expose them to the very best of what has been said and done in relation to design and technology.

In Key Stage One, pupils will: design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria; generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology; select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks; select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics; explore and evaluate a range of existing products; evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria; build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable; explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.

In Key Stage Two, pupils will: use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products; generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas; select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks; select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities; investigate and analyse a range of existing products; evaluate their ideas and products ; understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world Technical knowledge; apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures; understand and use mechanical systems in their products; understand and use electrical systems in their products; apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Impact

• Pupils will be provided with termly opportunities to showcase their learning and engineer skills, evidencing the impact of quality first teaching in the subject.
• Pupil voice will provide evidence that pupils are able to talk with confidence and enthusiasm about what they have learnt in engineering using subject specific vocabulary. Pupil voice will also demonstrate that many pupils enjoy engineering and are able to recall their learning over time – they will be encouraged to make connections with prior learning.
• Book scrutinies will demonstrate that DT is being taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group with some opportunities planned in for pupils working at greater depth and appropriate support for those pupils with additional needs. Work will be good quality and demonstrate pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence.  Assessment and book scrutinies will evidence that pupils can demonstrate knowledge and understanding, use key vocabulary and cover all skills in the progression document.