'The satisfaction? The joy? That comes from solving problems and making things.' - Hank Green

Intent

Design and technology prepares children at Launde Primary School to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas, and eventually making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as of functions and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its impacts. Design and technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.

Aims:

• To develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making things
• To enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas
• To encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures
• To explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it
• To develop an understanding of technological processes and products, their manufacture and their contribution to our society
• To foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making things

Implementation

Our design and technology lessons are taught in blocks to enable the children to work through the research design, make and evaluate cycle in a meaningful way. Products are planned into the curriculum so that all the children have the opportunity to make something. Experiments and exploration are also planned in sequentially. Product are often linked to other areas of the curriculum to give context and reason to the learning of the skills.

Design and Technology lessons at Launde follow a structure that allows children to:

• Research the world around them, objects, designers and the construction of a product
• To plan, investigate and try out their ideas for a design
• To practise using tools and understand how the tools can help them create their designs
• To turn their 2D design in to a 3D product
• To reflect on their work with a critical eye and make improvement

We use four processes to support the children in developing their understanding, researching, through to designing, making a product and then evaluating their product.

Research – Children given the opportunity to investigate a range of products that are already available. To investigate their construction, materials and purpose. Teacher introduces the children to designers, architects and craftspeople.

Design – Children to think about the design criteria and what the function of the final product should be. To generate ideas for their product following their design criteria. To think about the steps that would be needed to construct the product. To plan the aesthetic finish of a product and use.

Make – Children create their own product to fulfil their design criteria. Using appropriate tools and learnt joining methods.

Evaluate – Children have the opportunity to complete self or peer assessments on their work.  Appraisal skills are developed to reflect on their final product against their design criteria.

Impact

When the children leave Launde they will have:

• Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise to perform everyday tasks
• To apply their knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make improvements to a product
• To critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• To develop a critical understanding of the world them and how a product can impact on daily life