Design Technology
If you can think it, you can make it.
Subject Intent
At Bolsover C of E Junior School, we aim for our Design Technology high-quality curriculum to be inspiring, rigorous and practical. Using creativity and imagination, pupils will design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. We aim to, wherever possible, link to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encourage to become innovators and risk-takers. From their starting points we aim for all children to access Design Technology at Bolsover C of E Junior School. This will provide the foundations needed to support the transition into secondary school and beyond.
Subject Co-ordinator
The subject co-ordinator for Design Technology in school is Miss Victoria Armstrong, who can be contacted on 01246 822324, or via our school email at info@bolsover-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk. Our Design Technology nominated governor is Mrs Sarah Tew who can be contacted via the same contacts above.
Purpose of Study
Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. 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. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.
The National Curriculum Aims
- Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise need to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
- Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
- Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
Cultural Capital & DT at Bolsover
- Children have access to key knowledge, language and meanings in order to understand and readily apply to their work in DT and across the wider curriculum.
- Educational Visits will make links to DT and be made to develop the children’s learning experiences. Children will achieve age related expectations in DT.
- Children will retain knowledge about their journey and the outcomes for each unit of work.
- Children will understand what being an engineer, designer and architect means.
- Children will learn British Values and PSHE and revisit the importance of our world and how it should be treated.
- The creativity of our pupils needs channelling into a field where they learn to empathise with others and create solutions for others' problems, not just their own. They will benefit from taking a design brief and designing a product that meets the needs of others. Additionally, our pupils do not always have the ability to see a process through from start to finish. By learning design and technology, pupils will develop perseverance to design, make, test, evaluate and amend their creations, seeing the rewards of sticking at something for its entirety. With regards to food education, our pupils do not always have balanced meals at home and have experience of cooking their own food. By studying food education, pupils will learn what makes a balanced diet as well as how to cook staple meals for themselves.
British Values
By connecting our British Values through the teaching of DT, we explore issues that affect us all in our lives and this helps inform decisions that will shape our future. An example is the right to have a different opinion and the need to respect the views and opinions of others when discussing different designs and creations.
Subject Policies & Guidance
Design Technology Curriculum Addendum - due to Remote Home Learning
Curriculum Document - what do the progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary in design technology look like at Bolsover?
Design Technology Curriculum Document
Knowledge Organisers
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Assessment in Design Technology
As with all areas of the curriculum, assessment is an integral part of the teaching process. Class teachers should keep records of work carried out, and levels of achievement of the work. Photographs are a useful tool to keep, as a reminder of pupil’s achievement.
Formative assessment is used to guide the process of individual pupils in Design and Technology. It involves identifying each child’s progress in each aspect of the curriculum, determining what each child has learnt and what should therefore be the next step in their learning. Formative assessment is mostly carried out informally by the teachers in the course of their teaching and should be based on the identified assessment opportunities. Children’s progress in Design and Technology is reported to parents through the pupil annual report and consultation meetings throughout the year.
Careers in Design Technology
As technology continues evolving and becoming essential in many different fields, there are more and more ways in which creative individuals can combine an interest in both technology and design in their career such as:
- Graphic Designer
- Software Developer
- Fashion Designer
- Civil Engineer
- Chef
- Electrician
- Quantity Surveyor
Useful links and websites for Design Technology
BBC Bitesize - Design Technology