Design Technology Curriculum Vision

‘Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.’ (NC, 2014)

‘Creativity is nothing but a mind set free.’ (Torrie T. Asai)

Purpose and Intent

At Radipole, the Design Technology curriculum provides children with relevant, real life contexts for learning.  We want to encourage children to be creative, imaginative problem solvers when tackling all areas of design technology. Making mistakes is a huge part of Design Technology and integral to learning. Children are inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects which helps to build on their creativity.

Implementation and Realisation

All teaching of Design Technology follows the iterative design, make and evaluate cycle. The design process is embedded in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children choose freely from a range of tools and materials. Children evaluate their own products against a design criteria. Each of these steps is rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. There is evidence of each of these stages in the class Design Technology booklets, which also shows clear progression across the key stages.

Impact and Evaluation

Our Design and Technology curriculum enables and encourages our children to become problem solvers. Through Design Technology our children learn to take risks, become resourceful, innovative and enterprising individuals. Children learn to be passionate and excited by the designing and making of products. They look at existing designs to analyse and assess its effectiveness and then they consider ways of redesigning and reconstructing it to improve its overall success. Learning is assessed through the analysis of the pupil’s ability to evaluate, design, make and improve their own work.