Design & Technology
DT Progression of Skills Document
Intent
Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced to ensure we have progressively covered the knowledge, understanding and skills required in the National Curriculum. Our curriculum aims to inspire children through a broad range of practical experiences to create innovative designs which solve real and relevant problems within a variety of different contexts. The iterative design process is fundamental and runs throughout the units. This repetitive process encourages children to identify real and relevant problems, critically evaluate existing products and then take risks and innovate when designing and creating solutions to the problems. As part of the iterative process, time is built in to reflect, evaluate and improve on prototypes using design criteria throughout to support this process. Opportunities are provided for children to evaluate key events and individuals who have helped shape the world, showing the real impact of design and technology on the wider environment and helping to inspire children to become the next generation of innovators.
Implementation
Design and Technology skills and understanding are built into lessons, following an iterative process. However, this is not to say that this structure should be followed rigidly: it allows for the revision of ideas to become part of good practice and ultimately helps to build a depth to children's understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lessons help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each lesson. This vocabulary is then included in display materials to ensure that children are allowed opportunities to repeat and revise this knowledge. Adult guides and accurate design and technology subject knowledge are provided to allow the teacher and adults working in lessons feel confident and supported with the skills and knowledge that they are teaching.
Through our curriculum, we intend to inspire pupils and practitioners to develop a love of Design and Technology and see how it has helped shaped the ever-evolving technological world they live in.
Impact
The impact of our curriculum will be seen across the school with an increase in the profile of Design and Technology. The learning environment across the school will be more consistent with design and technology; technical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all learners. Whole-school and parental engagement will be improved through the use of design and technology-specific homework tasks and opportunities for wider learning. We want to ensure that Design and Technology is loved by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of skills and understanding, now and in the future. Impact can also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning.