Design and Technology

“Design and technology is a phenomenally important subject. Logical, creative and practical, it’s the only opportunity students have to apply what they learn in maths and science - directly preparing them for a career in engineering. Policy-makers must recognise design and technology’s significance for the UK economy and strive not just to preserve it – but to ensure it appeals to the brightest of young minds.”

James Dyson

At Bentley High Street Primary School, it is our intention to deliver a DT curriculum that builds on children’s previous learning, providing them with the tools to design, make and evaluate their own products effectively.

We expect all our pupils to gain the skills to:

• Be creative and ambitious in their designs, using research that they have gathered and organised, developing literacy and reading skills through opportunities to research existing products.
• Discuss how technology has helped shape the world, particularly in different cultures, considering the purpose and need for products in different communities with reference to environmental and economic factors.
• Be aware of cost effectiveness when creating a product to meet the need of the customer.
• Ensure equality for all our children to access a full DT curriculum in school irrespective of background and ability. Every child, every year, takes part in food technology, including hygiene to ensure skills for life.
• Identify clearly the task that needs to be undertaken.
• Discuss and generate ideas through talk and debate around how to create products which have a clear purpose for use.
• Cross curricular links are made through research and generation of ideas, including studies of costing, culture and development of technology over time.   
• Decide which is the best idea and solve real problems collaboratively, developing oracy through discussion of ideas within a group.
• Learn about materials and their properties, processes and tools needed.
• Implement and practice practical skills that equip our children for their future.
• Evaluate and test products created throughout this implementation process, including making prototypes.
• Collaboratively analyse the effectiveness of products made.
• Reflect on the process of designing and creating, through metacognitive skills involved so that individuals are aware of strengths and can make improvements to personal areas of development.
• Communicate findings, through presentations and commentary of the process used to create polished pieces.
• Learn from experiences and develop a self-confidence through evaluation and reflection of own work.
• Make an end product that is fit for purpose and visually appealing that our children are truly proud of!

Children will develop a progression of skills from our Early Years where they explore the understanding of the world (asking open ended questions such as how can we? And What would happen if?), Exploring and using media and materials (supportive ways in which children mix or add media, children talk about their observations and experiences and encourage children to find out what happens when they put different materials together) and being imaginative (Introducing descriptive language of products and enable children to develop confidence in their own way of representing ideas).

For further information regarding our Design and Technology curriculum, please contact our DT lead Miss Waterhouse.