Design and Technology

DT Statement of Intent

The teachers of St. James’ Catholic Primary School say…..

This subject hopes to inspire the inventors, builders, engineers, chefs and designers of the future; to study and feel awe and wonder at the world pioneers who have gone before them.

Through a range of topics, children can develop their knowledge and skills in food technology, textiles and structures involving electrical and mechanical mechanisms, enhancing both their fine and gross motor skills. The subject promotes logical thinking and problem solving whilst requiring the concept of the user and the purpose to be at the forefront of their decision making.  The curriculum offers challenge, encouraging the iterative design process of engaging in problems and solving them – seeing issues as opportunities to make decisions rather than seeing them as mistakes. Teachers can allow opportunities for errors and support the solving of them in a risk-taking environment with a ‘why not try it and see’ mentality. This may be when trialling a finishing technique in textiles, connecting a pulley to a circuit, cutting slots for sliders or trialling cam shapes to check movement. The curriculum therefore also encourages resilience as solving problems is acknowledged and celebrated.

The curriculum is structured so that children gain the opportunity to work independently building their own creative confidence in projects: Year 2 Puppets, Year 5 cam toy and Year 4 simple circuits and systems. They also importantly work in collaboration on group tasks: Year 1 Free standing, Year 3 mechanical bridges and Year 6 WW2 aeroplane structures. Working as a team for these projects, promotes communication and cooperation throughout the process where responsibility and leadership is shared in producing their finished piece.

This practical subject offers the children the chance to be curious, allowing time to ask and answer their own questions through evaluation of existing products. In our curriculum, this is through opportunities to investigate in a wide range of ways: how different puppets move, which net shapes create 3D gift boxes, the taste and texture of new foods or how different shaped cams influence movement.   In Key Stage 2 we aim to further inspire their curiosityby allowing time to study world influencers – those such as The Wright Brothers, who have inspired the production of the first flying machine or Karl Benz who connected a carriage to an engine to produce the first motorcar.

Overall, our children are offered with each project, the chance to make something which creates a sense of achievement and pride.

DT Long Term Plan

DT Skills Progression

DT Policy