St Marys - Design Technology

Design Technology

Rationale for Topic Teaching

At St Mary's we teach Design Technology through our Topics. Each Topic has a Geography or History focus and then Art or DT are woven throughout.

Our Topic Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning, that is mapped to the 2015 Primary National Curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. Our curriculum is delivered through a journey of both skills and knowledge which provides a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of our children’s learning and cultural understanding.

Topic Curriculum Intent

Our Topic lessons provide a rigorous essential skills framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects. These essential skills are tied to activities and are age related to enable staff to track children’s progress and identify their individual learning needs. The children follow an engage, develop/secure and apply set of lessons which results in a Global Investigation at the end of each Topic. Children will be able to express their newly learnt knowledge through discussions around a global question at the end of each topic. The Global Investigation ties together the newly learnt skills and adapts their new knowledge to a current global question or affair. This can look like an end piece of art or design product, a debate or presentation. This is done either as an individual or as part of a team, so that the teacher can thoroughly assess each child.

Early Design

In Early Years and Year 1, design plays an important part of provision. Before children build using construction materials, they are encouraged to design their build before committing to it. This translates to later years because it gives children the foundation of Design and Technology before engaging with more complex materials.

Celebrating through Craft

During specific celebrations throughout the year, Christian and otherwise, we turn to art, design and technology to help understand the celebration and reflect on the message it offered. Whether it is the creation of Mother's Day cards or Christmas tree decorations, art is an opportunity for children to express themselves using taught skills in the classroom.