Design Technology

Intent

Design Technology is popular subject with pupils across all ability levels. We believe that all of our pupils benefit hugely through inspiration, discussion, teaching and access to practical activities. At every stage of learning, our pupils will develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. We want all our pupils to be on a continuous journey of exploration of product design, making and refining through a variety of different topics. We will therefore provide opportunities for learning in a real-life context and encourage them to take responsibility for their learning and be more independent when using tools and machinery in a safe way.

Implementation

All teaching of DT will follow a design, make and evaluate cycle. Each step will be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. We use the termly topics to inspire and develop ideas. These are used as a starting point to begin class discussions, creating a deeper understanding and developing ideas for project work. The learning objective and success criteria for each lesson are shared with the pupils, to expand their learning and make clear the expectations of them. This also reinforces their responsibility to take own ownership of their learning. All work is adapted to support but still challenge our pupils at their individual skill level in this subject. While making, our pupils will be given a choice and a range of tools to use. Regular assessment for learning will enable our pupils to continue to develop and improve their work. This will be done through verbal feedback, the DT Grange steps or where appropriate, against specific course criteria. Where there are gaps in understanding and key skills these will be addressed through appropriate scaffolding. More able pupils will also be challenged and stretched academically and practically. Pupils will learn to evaluate at every stage of their learning through peer assessment, self-reflection and teacher feedback. In Red Kites pupils can take DT as an option where they work towards and entry pathways award.

Impact

Through the study of Design Technology, Grange pupils will learn life skills that they can use both in their personal lives as well as college courses. They will be able to use hand tools safely in their home and also have the skill and confidence to explore and produce their own projects. The skills that they learn will develop dexterity and motor skills. Pupils are regularly assessed through the Grange steps.