At Tadcaster Primary Academy it is our aim, in line with the National Curriculum, that all children will receive a design and technology curriculum which allows them to exercise their creativity through designing and making. The children are taught to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make a product. Skills are taught progressively to ensure that all children are able to learn and practice in order to develop as they move through the school. Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product, this is a key skill which they need throughout life. D&T allows children to apply the knowledge and skills learned in other subjects, particularly Maths, Science and Art. Children’s interests are captured through theme based learning, ensuring that links are made in a cross curricular way, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning.
At Tadcaster Primary Academy, Design and Technology is taught within three topics during the year on a three year cycle. Staff plan collectively, sharing ideas for first hand experiences and reflecting on previous design and technology teaching and learning and pupil voice. Children are supported in learning and developing their skills relative to their age and relevantly linked to the theme. All teaching of DT follows the design, make and evaluate cycle. The design process should be linked to real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to select freely from. To evaluate, children should be able to evaluate their own products against a design criteria. Each of these steps should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary.
At Tadcaster Primary Academy, the impact of Design and Technology teaching is evidenced in Creative Curriculum books, on classroom displays, around the school environment and in pupil feedback and demonstrates an enjoyment of the subject. Acquisition of key knowledge and skills is central to each topic and teachers strive to ensure children are building their knowledge and understanding of Design and
Technology alongside their skill development. This will lead children to have an excellent attitude to learning and independent working, the ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others, the ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop an exceptionally detailed knowledge of users’ needs and to have a thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.
