• Barkston Ash Design and Technology Long Term Plan
• Barkston Ash DT Progression of Skills
• Barkston Ash Design and Technology Vocabulary Progression
• Barkston Ash D&T pupil Voice 2022

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Curriculum Intent - Our aim and vision for children at Barkston Ash is… 
At Barkston Ash Catholic Primary School, children receive a design and technology curriculum which allows them to exercise their creativity through designing and making. Children are taught to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make a product. Skills are taught progressively to ensure that all children are able to learn and practice in order to develop as they move through the school.  Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product, this is a key skill which they need throughout their life. Design technology allows children to apply the knowledge and skills learned in other subjects, particularly Maths, Science and Art. Links are made in a cross curricular way, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning. 

The aims of teaching design technology in our school are:

• To give children the opportunity to take part in creative and practical activities. 
• To understand the importance of design and technology in the wider world. 
• To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making things. 
• To enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas to explore computing as a means of design. 
• To follow safe procedures when using equipment and to develop an understanding of technological processes and products, their manufacture and their contribution to society; to foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making things.

Curriculum Implementation 
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.  We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children.  All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge.  The design process should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to choose freely from. To evaluate, children should be able to evaluate their own products against a design criteria. Each of these steps should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. DT should be taught to a high standard, where each of the stages should be given equal weight.  The key skills we teach the children are: sewing and textiles, cooking and nutrition, electrical and mechanical components and using materials.

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an interactive process of designing and making:

• Design – use research and develop design criteria to design for a purpose and communicate their ideas through a range of mediums.
• Make – use a wider range of tools and equipment with accuracy and use a wider range of materials and components according to their qualities.
• Evaluate – evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work.

Design technology is taught in a block each term and children are taught through the three phases of designing, making and evaluating their own products.  Each year group focuses on 3 topics throughout the year and each topic will focus on a separate set of skills. As children progress through the school, they are presented with opportunities to develop these skills, as similar topics are revisited and built upon. The time dedicated to Design Technology ensures that each topic can be delivered to a high standard and children can create important and useful products. Resources are plentiful and allow children to be clever and creative when designing and making their products.

Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Early Years, Design Technology is an important part of the school day, with regular provision for model making and building. Children are constantly encouraged to talk about their choices and to evaluate and make changes accordingly, be it while making a box model, construction or building with blocks in the outside area. 

During the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities.  They have opportunities to learn to:

• Explore the textures, movement, feel and look of different media and materials;
• Respond to a range of media and materials developing an understanding that they manipulate and create effects with these;
• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas;
• Construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources;
• Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately;
• Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, pupils will be taught how to design, make and evaluate, but also to gain specific technical knowledge such as exploring how buildings can be made stronger and using mechanisms (levers, slides, wheels). Within key stage 1 we aim to develop design, creativity and problem solving through purposeful design projects which promote the children's skills in developing as individuals and as part of a team. Furthermore, key stage 1 is a vital time to develop children's understanding of the process designers engage in to ensure their finished product is effective. Children are introduced to important figures in design and technology and discuss their impact upon the world. Key stage 1 also aims to promote in children a clear understanding of where food comes from. Cooking and nutrition in KS1 will teach pupils to use basic principles of a healthy, varied diet to prepare and ensure pupils understand where food comes from.

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

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

In KS2, pupils will also design, make and evaluate products, but their technical knowledge will develop and build on existing skills to strengthen and reinforce more complex structures, 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) and apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products. KS2 pupils will develop their knowledge of balanced diets and apply their skills from KS1 in order to prepare and cook a variety of predominately savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques. Within key stage 2 key events and individuals that have influenced the world of design and technology are covered in more depth and sophistication to ensure children can observe the wider context of design and technology. The use of computer programmes and applications are also a key focus to be utilised by children in their design of their products.

Children gain a lot of satisfaction in designing and developing product for others to use, eat or buy. They work on their own and as part of a team on a range of designing and making activities.  The focus tends to remain on 'meeting a need' or 'solving a problem' and as they get older, market forces become part of planning process. They think about what products are used for and the needs of the people who use them as well as conducting market research with potential buyers. Class 5 children are involved in 'mini-enterprise' activities for the PTA Christmas Fayre. Children in class 5 undertake an Apprentice type project to plan a product from concept to market. They plan carefully what has to be done and identify what works well and what could be improved in their own and other people’s designs.   Children use their previous Design and Technology experience to manufacture or source their product, advertise and sell it. After the event, profits are used to support local and international charities. 

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
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-sectional 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 product

SEND
The Design Technology curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils. When planning for differentiation the following is considered: 

• Curriculum content and resources including visual resources
• Use of ICT to reduce barriers to learning where possible 
• Resources to support pupils with sensory issues eg ear defenders, enlarged print, appropriate seating arrangements, areas of low distraction 
• Additional adult support is used to ensure pupils are able to participate in all aspects of the lesson including discussions, group work, role play and recording. Pupils are supported in expressing their views as well as their feelings and emotions.   

 
Curriculum Impact
Assessment of children's learning in Design Technology is an ongoing monitoring of children's understanding, knowledge and skills by the class teacher, throughout lessons. This assessment is then used to inform differentiation, support and challenge required by the children. 

Each topic ends with all children creating a final product; these products are a fantastic way for children to demonstrate the skills they have learnt. Throughout the school, children are given the opportunity to consolidate their skills by creating their final product independently. Each lesson builds on the previous and children’s skills are improved upon throughout each topic. It is also clear to see the progression of skills throughout the school through the quality of products each year group creates.