Design and Technology

Design and Technology

Intent

At Mickley, we aim to provide an art / DT curriculum which enables all learners to explore the arts and develop their skills over time.  As well as weekly art / DT lessons, we also have art focus weeks which allows the pupils to work with different media and explore the work of famous artists.  We organise art-based trips and provide extra-curricular clubs to further enhance the provision we have to offer.

Rationale

The purpose of Design and Technology in the National Curriculum is for pupils to use creativity and imagination to design and make products and solve real and relevant problems. The curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils develop expertise to perform everyday tasks confidently in an increasingly technological world by having the skills to design, make and evaluate and test as well as having an understanding and the ability to apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Implementation

At Mickley First School Design and Technology is taught in a variety of ways to ensure pupils develop their skills over time.  We also plan lessons that encourage children to solve real-life problems to ensure design and technology work is purposeful and practical.  We use a design, make and evaluate process in our lessons and pupils are encouraged to talk about their learning and how their designs could be improved.

We hold regular art / DT weeks which are usually based around a theme.  Examples of recent themes include bridges and The Angel of the North.  This supports our art and design curriculum.  Many of our science experiments include a DT element.  For example, during the materials topic in Year 2, pupils were asked to design and make an umbrella to keep Ted dry in the rain and children in key stage 2 created volcanoes and then made them erupt!

Impact

Progress in design and technology is monitored termly to ensure all pupils meet their full potential.  We were also extremely proud to achieve Silver Artsmark accreditation in January 2020 for our ongoing commitment to the arts.

Design and Technology teaching is detailed in our topic webs.

Click here to view the full National Curriculum Programme of Study that we follow for Design and Technology.