Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent 

At Eastgate Academy we intend to build a Design Technology curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills.  We believe Design Technology to be a crucial element of our children’ education, taught within a curriculum which equips pupils with valuable practical skills, such as sewing and food preparation. 

Through the Design Technology curriculum, pupils will develop an understanding of both their own local culture and heritage, and a wider knowledge of the world around them. Units such as ‘Fairground’ will allow an exploration of the local, historical travelling fair; whilst units such as ‘Earthquakes’ will develop study of wider culture.

We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, history, 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 encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. 

Implementation

The DT curriculum draws on the four aims of the National Curriculum: that pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. Pupils 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. Pupils critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others, and understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook. Units have been designed to ensure a breadth of study covering these aims, and encouraging links with other subjects.

The knowledge and skills that children will develop throughout are mapped across each year group and throughout the school to ensure progression. Skills are revisited as pupils develop mastery throughout primary school. The

units give a emphasis on understanding of the wider world, and local study. This links well to other curriculum areas, using skills learnt in Maths and Science particularly to enhance understanding of how different objects are made, and work.

A balanced focus on skills ensures that children are given opportunities to express their creative imagination, as well as practise and develop mastery in the key processes of design technology, such as sewing, cutting, modelling and cooking skills.

An enquiry based approach across the school encourages the children to ask questions about how things are made, to discuss what they observe in current design, analyse skills and techniques used and critique for potential improvements through thorough evaluation both of their own, and current designs. Within the school, key stages complete coordinated units, ensuring skills can be developed collaboratively; giving all pupils the scope to develop and exceed their expectations.

The school’s high quality DT curriculum is supported through the availability of a wide range of quality resources, which are used to support children’s confidence in the use of different media. Pupils are further encouraged to use recycled materials, linking well with an understanding of the environment around us and ways in which we can protect it.

Impact

Each pupil will create an item of their own design each half term, which they will have the opportunity both to display, discuss with students and staff, and share with their families; instilling a sense of pride and achievement. The school environment celebrates the children’s achievements in DT, further demonstrating the importance of DT within a wider curriculum. The DT curriculum at Eastgate Academy provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to develop independence, creativity, and life-long skills.