At The Colleton, design and technology is a practical and creative subject that aims to give children experience and freedom in designing and making and to become the innovators of tomorrow. Our aim is for our children to be able to plan products with purpose, to use and be exposed to a variety of tools and techniques and reflect on their finished products to support future projects. We want our children to love DT, to have to have no limits in their ambitions and aspire to be graphic designers, architects and carpenters.
The aim of the Colleton School design and technology curriculum is that all children:
Design and technology is taught through discrete projects which are linked to the term’s overarching topic question, making cross curricular links where possible. These cover the whole spectrum of the National Curriculum: textiles, construction, mechanics and electricity (KS2).
At The Colleton, pupils are taught and supported to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. They are encouraged to take risks and to be creative, resourceful and enterprising. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of the impact of the elements of DT on daily life and within the wider world.
Our design and technology curriculum is driven by four golden threads which provide a framework for learning to help deepen children’s understanding of what is being taught. These are revisited within and across year groups so that children can progressively build upon their existing skills, knowledge and vocabulary:
Our children’s design and technology journey begins in the Early Years through Expressive Arts. Throughout school, the children’s natural creativity is fostered. They are encouraged to investigate and design, construct and create purposefully, selecting the tools and techniques needed to shape, assemble and join materials they are using. They learn through first-hand experiences by planning ideas in their books before putting their ideas into practice whilst developing an awareness and understanding of the possibilities and limitations of different materials. This enables them to solve problems, think critically, make decisions and talk about why they have made these decisions as they design and create.
Through our carefully planned curriculum, our children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will be able to link to real-world examples through other areas of the curriculum. The Colleton children will develop creative, technical and practical expertise that is needed to participate in an increasingly technological world by the time they leave us in Year 6. This means our children will acquire:
Teachers will continually assess children’s progression of skills and knowledge during design and technology lessons, ensuring all children are supported and challenged appropriately to develop their proficiency. The subject leader will monitor learning through discussion with the children and colleagues to ensure high quality outcomes are achieved across the school as well as by gathering evidence in a portfolio and reviewing displays.
