Design Technology

Our vision

DT is a subject that sparks curiosity and imagination from the mind to fingertips. It helps children to think logically about solutions or new ideas and express these through a creation. It helps children to put different ideas together to create something for a specific purpose – whether this be something for the present or future.

This vision of DT is what our DT curriculum is built around. Children not only will become problem-solvers, but they will develop into confident designers and engineers. Our DT curriculum intends to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to build on what children already know about how things work on our planet and to make something even better. Children should leave Hartwell recognising their designing and making skills and know how to use these to produce something to not only meet a criteria, but something that can make a change or difference. Our children can therefore leave Hartwell Primary School confidently being able to apply these skills in the real world.

The subject leader

To ensure an effective DT curriculum, I monitor teaching and learning through lesson observations and work scrutinise and I gather pupil voice. Such actions enable me to a full awareness and understanding about how DT at Hartwell is going and what areas can be celebrated and improved upon for high-quality teaching and learning. I work closely with teachers to support planning and teaching of content so they feel confident with what they are delivering and this also ensures our pupils enjoy and learn from their lessons. I am able to invest in high-quality resources for lessons to take place. I also attend CPD course that not only enhance my teaching practise, but also of other teachers. I learn new knowledge and skills myself and then share this with other teachers, often through staff training to ensure improved standards of teaching and learning.

Pupil Voice

Children’s views about DT is valuable as it allows us teachers to hear about how our provision is going and in return guide us in what direction to go next to further enhance our high-quality teaching and learning. This is our most recent pupil survey result and analysis:

*pupil voice document*

Click here to see our SMSC in DT

Click here to see our DT School Development Plan 2023-24

The DT curriculum at Hartwell

At Hartwell, DT is taught in all year groups. The objectives for the subject from the National Curriculum (NC) are split into cross-curricular topics, such as Puppets in Year 2 when focusing on toys and in Year 5 a ‘Make do a mend’ textiles project is part of the children’s wider study of World War II. This enhances not only cross-curricular content but gives DT knowledge and skills a sense of purpose and real-life application – to solve a problem or meet a criteria and apply into a meaningful context. Each year group focuses on one textile, one construction and one food and nutrition project to allow clear progression of skills and knowledge in these areas. This also ensures that DT in school is enjoyable and creative, and widens children’s appreciation that DT is important in our lives as it contributes to the way we live, and may live, our lives.

The DT objectives in KS1 and KS2 are set out for each year group in the NC. They are as follows:

Key Stage 1

Design

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

Make

select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing
select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Evaluate

explore and evaluate a range of existing products
evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

Technical Knowledge

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.

Key Stage 2

Design

use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups
generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-section and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make

select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately
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

Evaluate

investigate and analyse a range of existing products
evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
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 [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages]
understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Cooking and nutrition

Key Stage 1

use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
understand where food comes from. Key stage 2
understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Key Stage 2

understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Early Years Foundation Stage

DT takes place regularly in Reception at our school, contributing significantly to many of the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) including ‘Being Creative and Expressive’. Activities such as making a photo frame, baking a healthy biscuit and building a sturdy bridge are just some of the activities offered to help children not only solve a problem but to think about how things work and the impact they can have on making something succeed. It introduces children to the concept of many areas of DT, such as designing before making and how to meet a criteria. We also have a dedicated area for children to independently access where they can design and make their own projects as part of our continuous provision.