Design Technology

Design Technology Leader: Mrs Sharma (Holme School)

Vision

At Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School, we are guided by our core values. These values shape our vision for our Design and Technology curriculum and underscore our commitment to nurturing well-rounded, confident individuals who are equipped with the skills to transition into the next stage of their school life. To fledge and fly high!

Honest: We foster an environment where honesty is integral to the design process. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their work sincerely, provide constructive feedback to peers, and approach challenges with a genuine commitment to improvement.

To Communicate Clearly: Our DT curriculum emphasises the importance of clear and effective communication. Whether discussing ideas, sharing designs, or presenting final products, pupils learn to articulate their thoughts with precision and confidence, fostering collaboration and understanding.

To Be Respectful: Respect is the cornerstone of our DT community. Pupils are taught to value and appreciate diverse perspectives, providing constructive feedback and working collaboratively with kindness and professionalism.

To Have Confidence: We aim to instill confidence in every pupil by providing opportunities to take risks, explore new ideas, and showcase their achievements. Pupils learn to trust their abilities and approach challenges with a positive mindset through our I do, we do, you do approach.

To Embrace Responsibility: Our curriculum encourages pupils to take ownership of their learning and actions. From managing projects to reflecting on their progress, pupils develop a sense of accountability that prepares them for future challenges.

To Support One Another: Teamwork and mutual support are integral to our DT ethos. Pupils learn the value of working together, sharing skills, and encouraging one another to achieve collective success through application and our DT events.

To Have Resilience in All That They Do: We teach pupils to view setbacks as opportunities for growth. By fostering a mindset of resilience, we encourage them to persevere through challenges and continuously strive for improvement.

 Our vision is to cultivate pupils who are not only proficient in the academic skills needed for the next stage of their education but who also embody these values. We aim to develop learners who are honest, communicate clearly, are respectful, have confidence, embrace responsibility, support one another and have resilience.

Implementation

At Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School, our pupils will learn to design and make:

• a range of sweet and savoury food products
• a range of textiles
• structures
• mechanisms

(These are referred to as the four strands that are woven through our DT curriculum and form the focus of each unit.)

Design Technology will be taught through a process which involves pupils:

• evaluating a range of products that fulfill a given brief
• designing
• practising skills
• making
• evaluating/assessing against the brief

Progression

Our curriculum is designed to enable pupils to progress through a sequence of skills and technical knowledge as they move through the school. These are developed within a two-year cycle that alternates complementary skills, which build on skills learned in the previous key stage and equip them for the challenges in the next cycle, as well as further learning in design and technology.

Rationale

Where we have chosen to focus on a particular designer or design brief, our curriculum is designed to emphasise our school values.

Organisation

Units are taught either half-termly or termly. Class 1 and 2 will be learning along the same theme however, the progression of skills and overall outcome is clearly differentiated.

EYFS

Although not explicitly required by the ELGs, skills and knowledge about DT are experienced in the EYFS through play, exploration and enrichment, focusing on practical learning rather than abstract design.

Impact

We assess pupils' skills and knowledge against our own curriculum.  Each unit of work is developed through careful curriculum planning, allowing pupils to make progress. As pupils advance through these stages, teachers conduct day-to-day formative assessments to build a comprehensive picture of each pupil's progress. 

At the end of each unit, teachers make a summative assessment.

• Expected Standard: Pupils meeting the expected level of understanding and skill.
• Working Towards the Expected Standard: Pupils developing towards the expected level.
• Working Deeper Within the Expected Standard: Pupils exceeding the expected level with deeper understanding and skills. 

This model helps in reporting progress and achievement to the next teacher or key stage. At Holme Junior and Infant School, we monitor and track pupil progress in Design and Technology by using our assessment grids at the end of each lesson on a platform called Insights. Our spreadsheet outlines key assessment statements from the lessons outlined on Medium Term Plans. 

Key Documents