Intent 

At the heart of our vision for DT at Calverton is ‘Design for a healthy planet’. Through DT we want our pupils to enjoy and benefit from ‘project-based learning’, designing and making products for a purpose that they can be proud of and developing their ability to ‘think like designers’ in a varied and challenging range of design scenarios. As part of this we want pupils to develop an ‘environmental consciousness’ through attention to the impact and use of materials and exploring how design can solve real world problems. This has a long term goal of creating ‘workers and citizens of the future’ who are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to create a healthy planet for themselves and all of us.

Implementation 

DT is taught in three half term blocks over the course of the year. 

Each topic tries to include as much hands-on learning as possible, with a big focus on children creating a final product that fulfils a practical purpose. 

Projects build on themes, skills and learning from previous years in a layered approach and also link to learning in other subjects where possible. 

One notable feature is that each year one of the topics will be a cooking project. 

Impact

• All pupils are actively involved in Design and Technology lessons, are able to achieve and have the opportunity to produce a final product, including SEND. 
• Pupils not only progressively improve their knowledge and skills over the course of their learning journey, but also develop their technical expertise and extend their learning beyond the curriculum. 
• Pupils demonstrate pleasure in designing and making, and understand and use the Design Cycle: evaluate - design - make.
• Pupils learn to assess and manage risks in tool use and product design.
• Pupils are not afraid of failure, mistakes or getting it wrong. Rather pupils embrace these aspects as central to learning and at the heart of good design development.
• Pupils listen to feedback to improve or change a design, and can make use of trial and error.
• Pupils believe they can use design to solve social and environmental problems.
• Pupils are confident problem solvers, fixers, dabblers, inventors, menders - the innovators, designers, engineers, trades people and workers of the future. 
• Pupils begin to learn how to carry out repairs and maintenance, so that they don’t always have to rely on others or always have to replace a broken product. 
• Pupils learn skills and knowledge that enable positive life chances and prepare them to navigate and make use of the technological changes underway in society. 
• Through growing their own vegetables which they then prepare and cook, pupils understand where food comes from, how it is produced, harvested and stored.
• Pupils understand some of the impact food systems have on the natural world.
• Pupils know how to cook simple and affordable meals that are nutritionally balanced and healthy. 
• Pupils take pleasure from the important cultural and creative aspects of cooking.