Design & Technology
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” - Steve Jobs.
Subject lead: Miss James
The aim of Design and Technology at St Joseph’s is to equip children with the necessary skills to exercise their creativity through designing and making. The children are taught to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make a purposeful product. We want our children to be inspired by the work of a range of designers and use this alongside their own imaginative ideas, life experiences and skills. A fundamental part of being a designer is to constantly evaluate and improve on an original idea, a concept that runs through the whole of the Design and Technology curriculum. St Joseph's is part of a STEM project working with five other schools in our BCWCAT Trust- this enables our teachers to have training from industry experts in fields such as textiles, Science and Computing. The aim of this project is to show children the range of careers available in STEM subjects. Our intent is to give the children the skills they need for the careers of the future.
How is Design and Technology taught at St Joseph’s?
Skills are taught progressively to ensure that all children can learn and practice in order to develop as they move through the school. Children’s interests are captured through theme learning, ensuring that links are made in a cross curricular way, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning.
Each unit of work taught contains the 4 main principles:
1) Design: Conducting research, planning and discussing ideas
2) Make: Working with tools, equipment, materials and components to make quality products
3) Evaluate: Skills of Judgement and Evaluation towards processes and testing products used.
4) Improve: Acquiring and applying knowledge to inform progress further
Design and Technology projects, including Food Technology, are delivered in 3 half-term blocks.
St Joseph’s has links with HEPP DT who provide half or whole day sessions to teach specific skills and support the children with their projects.
Impact: During DT lessons, teachers give children constant feedback about their designs and making projects. At the end of each project, teachers are aware of which children have excelled and which ones have found elements of the project difficult. This enables planning and support for the next project.
