Design & Technology

DT 1

Design & Technology at St. Patrick’s

Subject Leader – Mrs Mulrooney & Mrs Connor

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. At St. Patrick’s, they acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. We believe that this will aid our students to understand that anything is possible. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. Children will be given opportunities to share ideas and offer advice to their peers thus enhancing their communication skills. We aim to have close links with our community by celebrating local architecture and the different heritages of our children. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation, linking to our school’s curriculum driver healthy lifestyles.

Design and technology education begins well before children begin their formal schooling. Children constantly explore their world through a variety of activities and it is vital for us to continue to extend this. The child’s increasing understanding of the process of design and technology should match their intellectual and physical development throughout their primary education. Design and technology at St. Patrick’s should be taught through a combination of defined design and technology projects, the direct teaching of skills and through activities integrated within the learning of other National Curriculum subjects or project/theme work.

Aims and Objectives

These aims and objectives are intended to aid the progression of all pupils in school; how they are implemented will be dependent upon the age and ability of the pupils.

Teachers should aim to:

Provide equal opportunities and develop the knowledge and skills or individual pupils through a range of structured and differentiated activities.
Motivate pupils by providing interesting and stimulating experiences.
Help children become aware of and investigate simple products by disassembly and evaluation.
Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding about a range of materials, components and techniques.
Teach skills relating to designing and making products successfully
Develop technical knowledge to meet the age of the child.
Provide adequate time and access to information, skills and resources to allow children to produce a good quality product.
Encourage children to be environmentally aware when designing and planning to ensure minimal waste produce.

Children should be able to:

Produce designs and plans, listing tools/materials needed.
Explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
Design and make purposeful products and to evaluate the effectiveness of the making process.
Evaluate their work throughout the making process, suggesting alternatives when necessary and evaluate the final product in terms of what is and is not working.
Become increasingly more accurate in the measurement, marking, cutting and combining of materials.
Recognise safety implications for themselves and others.
Demonstrate safe use of a range of equipment.
Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.