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At Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, we recognise the vital role of Design and Technology in nurturing creativity and developing practical and critical thinkers. We deliver a varied and high-quality Design and Technology curriculum which is engaging, inspiring and challenging. We encourage children to use their creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts considering their own and others’ needs and values.
We aim to link a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Our curriculum provides opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design and technology and develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. Design and Technology are studied throughout the school in half-term units, following the National Curriculum and links to topics to ensure a well-structured approach.
Our Early Years team provide open-ended opportunities to practise key skills which are essential to our Design and Technology curriculum, regardless of their different starting points. We believe we are preparing children with the building blocks to study Design and Technology further as well as giving the children the opportunity to develop a lifelong interest in our ever-changing world of Technology. Learning Design and Technology well allows children to realise career goals in professions which rely on creativity, perseverance, innovation and a range of technical skills (e.g. entrepreneurs, engineers, architects, chefs etc.) as well as using Design and Technology in a range of other careers.
We want our children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. We want them to 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. We want our children to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others and we want them to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
The key terms of Design and Technology are developed from EYFS to KS2, with exploring, designing, making, evaluating, technical knowledge and cooking and nutrition being recurrent themes. Topics are organised around the school’s Design and Technology Progression Planning Document which allows children to study a range of skills and techniques specific to the subject. Each year, there is a clear progression of skills and vocabulary which build on prior learning – such as using tools and techniques with increasing mastery. Lessons engage the children and scaffolding is provided to make lessons accessible for all.
Our curriculum is enriched with Cultural Capital opportunities to work with local factories and organisations within our community, including KP snacks and Nissan. We also encourage Design and Technology opportunities through after-school groups, including Let’s Get Cooking! (Our Year 3 after school cookery club) and our Year 6 Lego League Robotic Club. We have also worked with Tanfield Comprehensive school to provide Year 5 robotics and construction transition sessions.
Subject coordinators evaluate if children are working at the required standard through work scrutiny, gathering and comparing examples of work and general observations of lessons and displays. Our Design and Technology Progression Planning Document ensures children are prepared for the next step in their education. They check knowledge is embedded through discussions with the children.
Design and Technology Curriculum Progression Document
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