Our Vision for Design and Technology
We believe that if we open our hearts and minds to the possibilities, each and every one of us, no matter how small, can make a difference in our school and beyond. The parable of the Mustard Seed teaches us that God can do a lot with a little.
At St Michael’s School, we believe that every child is a creative thinker, problem solver and designer. Through an engaging and purposeful Design and Technology curriculum, children learn to imagine, create, evaluate and improve their ideas. We want our children to develop confidence in designing solutions to real problems and to understand how design shapes the world around them.
Our Design and Technology curriculum is closely linked to our wider curriculum themes, enabling children to apply their learning in meaningful and exciting ways. Through designing, making and evaluating, children learn that they can use their creativity, knowledge and skills to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
Throughout their time at St Michael’s, pupils will develop their knowledge of structures, mechanisms, textiles, food technology and materials through a progressive curriculum that builds skills and understanding over time.
We encourage children to take risks, learn from mistakes and persevere when challenges arise. Through this process they develop independence, confidence and pride in their achievements.
We want children to be curious about how things work, why products are designed in different ways and how design can improve people’s lives. Through practical experiences, children learn that they too can be designers, creators and problem solvers.
How do we make this happen?
Design and Technology lessons
Children learn through a carefully planned sequence of practical experiences which develop their designing, making and evaluating skills.
Topic based learning
Our Design and Technology projects are linked to our wider curriculum themes, helping children make meaningful connections across subjects.
Food Technology
Children learn about healthy eating, food preparation and nutrition through practical cooking experiences. They develop skills such as cutting, mixing, measuring and preparing ingredients safely.
Hands on experiences
Children learn best through doing. We provide opportunities for children to investigate, experiment, design, build, test and improve their creations.
Cross curricular links
Design and Technology naturally connects with science, mathematics, history, geography, art and computing, allowing children to apply their learning in different contexts.
Early Years
Children begin developing their Design and Technology skills through a wide range of play based and practical experiences.
They explore how things work, investigate materials, construct models and create products using a variety of resources. Children are encouraged to plan, test ideas, solve problems and talk about their creations.
Through both adult led and child initiated learning, children develop curiosity, creativity and confidence as designers and makers. Children learn through a range of self initiated and adult directed activities, both indoors and outdoors.
Key Stage 1
We provide our children with a coherently planned sequence of lessons to ensure they progressively develop the knowledge, skills and understanding required within the National Curriculum.
Children learn about:
- Structures
- Mechanisms
- Materials
- Food and nutrition
- Designing, making and evaluating
They learn to generate ideas, create design criteria, select suitable materials, use tools safely and evaluate the effectiveness of their finished products. Children are encouraged to reflect on what worked well and how their designs could be improved.
We provide children with practical learning experiences that are meaningful and memorable. Through these experiences, children develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning and everyday life. Design and Technology is taught both as a discrete subject and through cross curricular links, enabling children to apply their learning in a range of contexts.
We believe that through these opportunities children will know more, remember more and understand more.
How do we know this has made a difference?
The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is seen through children’s enthusiasm, creativity and growing confidence as designers and makers.
Children are able to talk confidently about their learning, explain the decisions they have made and evaluate the effectiveness of their finished products. They apply previously taught skills and knowledge when approaching new design challenges and demonstrate increasing independence throughout the design process.
Impact is measured through:
- Children’s design plans and recorded ideas.
- Evaluation activities where children reflect on the success of their products and identify improvements.
- Pupil voice and discussion.
- Observation of practical skills and use of tools.
- Evaluation of finished products against design criteria.
- Teacher assessment against learning objectives.
- Evidence of progression in designing, making and evaluating over time.
- Children’s ability to apply knowledge and skills across different contexts.
The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is that children leave St Michael’s as curious, creative and resilient learners who are confident in designing, making and evaluating products. They understand that ideas can grow into something meaningful and that, just like the mustard seed, small beginnings can lead to great things.
