Design and Technology

Intent 

At Wistaston Church Lane we aim for children to INVENT and EVALUATE like designers! 

We aim for Design and Technology to provide children with the opportunity to gain independence in their learning as their skills progress from EYFS right up to Year 6, allowing them to have confidence in themselves and the ability to think creatively and practically. We are committed to ensuring that children are inspired and enthusiastic about the opportunities provided at Wistaston Church Lane Academy, and we aim for children to develop transferable and relevant skills through our delivery of the Design and Technology curriculum. Throughout their time here, children will design products and show this in a range of ways, building their skills and using research and knowledge of existing products to allow them to develop a design criterion to base their products on. We aim for children to gain confidence in using the correct tools and materials required for their desired purpose, and begin to use their design criterion to improve their product, thinking practically about how to best improve their work. Children will enhance their technical knowledge in a range of contexts including exploring mechanical systems such as wheels and axles, the principles of a healthy diet and their understanding of structures. 

Implementation 

At Wistaston Church Lane Academy we follow the national curriculum for Design and Technology with Design and Technology taught half termly using the KAPOW scheme of learning. Children begin each unit by assessing their current knowledge and understanding before researching current products, allowing real life understanding of the final product they will be creating. Children have the opportunity to practise new skills before creating a plan based on the design criterion. Once a clear plan has been developed, children use appropriate materials and equipment to make the product, showing that they are reflective learners by questioning and improving their product as part of the making process. Once they have a finished product, children will evaluate their product based on the original design criterion. Children are able to enhance their technical knowledge through research and discussion during topics and they are encouraged to develop an investigative mind-set through research and design, allowing them to expand their own knowledge of a product and challenge themselves to make improvements when making their own. Design and Technology is linked to class topics and incorporates maths, science, engineering, computing and art in order to create cross-curricular opportunities.  

Impact 

At Wistaston Church Lane, we aim to provide high quality teaching of Design and Technology and ensure that we encourage children to be confident in their skills, ensuring progression through school. The subject leader alongside SLT will monitor the subject, which is taught across the school half termly. 

Through quality teaching, we ensure that children are able to: 

• Enhance their technical knowledge and grow confidence in the subject, eventually being able to independently select materials and tools based on their design. 
• Thoroughly research existing products, considering what they feel are the strengths and weaknesses of products and allowing this to impact their design. 
• Explore different ways of making a product, and continuously evaluate and improve as part of the making process. 
• Understand designers and inventors, and the impact this has had on design and technology today. 
• Be reflective learners, consider what went well and what could be improved and respond to this by improving the product. 
• Build confidence in a range of areas including cooking and nutrition, working with electronics, structures, textiles and mechanisms. 

Cultural Capital 

At Wistaston Church Lane Academy, we develop the following skills to support children in becoming inventive and evaluative designers; 

• Consideration of target audience as part of the design process, adapting the product and its design to meet the needs of the target audience 
• Increasing their knowledge and understanding of appropriate tools and materials in order to complete a task effectively, and feeling confident in exploring these tools and materials.  
• The ability to ensure evaluation is a continuous process and to keep the products target audience in mind, making relevant changes as part of the making process. 
• The confidence to consider what went well with their work, and to understand and reflect on how it could be changed in future. 
• The ability to work collaboratively with others in order to question their work and develop ideas on how best to improve this. 
• The opportunity to enhance skills in a wide range of areas, developing understanding of Food, Textiles, Electronics, Structures and Mechanisms. 

Our Curriculum: