Burnham-on-Sea Infant School

Design and Technology Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Lead: Gina Ingham

Our curriculum approach to D&T reflects our ethos statement ‘Working Together Building Futures’ providing all our children rich opportunities to explore key themes of textiles, structures, mechanism and food.

Intent (curriculum design, coverage and appropriateness) :

Our aim of the Design and Technology curriculum is to inspire our children to be curious about how things work.  We will support our children to think critically, seek to solve problems and be able to ask and answer questions. The children are equipped with the vocabulary that they need to understand the different aspects of design and technology. Lessons provide opportunities for children to explore, design, make and evaluate their own and others’ work. We want children to gain knowledge and skills through different experiences in the classroom. Through exploring key concepts of Structures, Mechanisms, Textiles and Foods all children are provided opportunities for hands on learning and problem solving based on real life contexts. Design and technology gives all children the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned through their practical exploration and then to use this knowledge to design and make their own product, before testing so that adjustments may be made.. Children learn how to take risks whilst utilising a range of communicative skills to express and present their designs.

Implementation (curriculum delivery, teaching and assessment):

At Burnham Infants we feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design by exploring the designed and made world in which we all live and work. All pupils participate in engaging and purposeful DT opportunities. The children are encouraged to design, construct and evaluate in areas of structures mechanisms, food and textiles. Reception provides the core building blocks, including the development of fine and gross motor skills, alongside opportunities to explore using different construction materials. To ensure that high quality design and technology is taking place throughout the whole school we implement a curriculum which is progressive from EYFS through to Year 2. Design and Technology lessons are planned  with a focus on knowledge and skills. All lessons have a strong focus on vocabulary which ensures that all children can talk using the appropriate language. The subject leader ensures that knowledge and skills within lessons are progressive through the school through monitoring and evaluating. 

Impact (attainment and progress):

Through DT, our children learn to take risks, become resourceful, innovative and enterprising individuals; preparing them for further deeper study at Key Stage 2. They explore the different key concepts, considering ways to re-design and re-construct to improve its overall success.  Children learn to be passionate and excited by the designing and making of products.  Learning is assessed through the analysis of the pupil’s ability to design, make, evaluate and improve their work with work recorded in our STEM floor books.

The Design and Technology lead at Burnham-on-Sea will;

• Help design the rolling curriculum map and then to monitor to ensure that units are being taught at the correct time.
• Complete learning walks, speak to pupils about their learning and discuss with colleagues successes and barriers.
• Available to offer subject knowledge and advice when needed to support teaching staff in their understanding and delivery of D&T.

Review:

October 2023