Design and Technology
At Bishop Gilpin we aim to create a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning by appreciating the design and creativity displayed by the best creators and designers and to use a variety of high quality resources to create products with aesthetic and practical purpose.
Read our:
Design and Technology Curriculum Aims (schemas for learning -endpoints)
Design and Technology Curriculum Overview
Designing
Pupils gain knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making in a range of contexts.
They are supported in modelling and communicating their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
These skills and designs inform the creation of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups.
Making
We provide children with a range of tools and equipment, enabling them to bring their designs to life. Children are encouraged to make individual choices based on functional properties and characteristics of each.
Based on their designs, children select materials and components, including textiles and construction materials, according to their characteristics and design.
Whilst making their products, children are encouraged to find innovative solutions to any problems or setbacks.
Evaluating
Evaluating
Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, children develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. They understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world and continue to do so.
Pupils also learn to evaluate their own ideas and products against (their own) design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their designs/techniques/products.
Children appreciate that in ‘design and technology’ function usually has a level of priority over form (in contrast to art).
Technical Knowledge
We teach pupils how to develop the technical and practical expertise needed to create innovative prototypes and products. In the designing and making phase, children explore and use a variety of different skills in their products. They learn how to build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger and more stable. They also explore and use mechanisms and (where appropriate) electronics in their products. They also select appropriate materials and joining techniques e.g. sewing and weaving.
Cooking and Nutrition
Children learn how to engage with cooking and preparation of dishes. They grow plants for use in cooking which supports an understanding of seasonality and origins of foods.
Pupils learn about nutrition based on recent research into gut biome health and varied diets. They learn to look beyond simple messages about fats and calories that can be misleading. They evaluate the eatwell guide.
Children learn the relationships between good nutrition and mental and physical wellbeing.
Design and Technology Curriculum Approach
The key NC strands in Design and Technology, the EYFS framework and Development Matters have informed our schemas and our curriculum planning, leading to a direct impact on children's learning.
By the end of their time at Bishop Gilpin, our aim is for children to have both an appreciation for design and an understanding of the technical skills required to produce different products. We want the children to be able to problem solve and adapt designs to suit different briefs. In food technology, it is important that children understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet. Through food technology units in each year group, children are taught basic food skills and how to adapt recipes for their tastes.
Schemas are repeated and then added to in future learning. Skills/procedural knowledge follows a planned progression.When the new curriculum was introduced, the schemas were not formally introduced to children as there was already a lot of movement. From September 2022, the schemas will be formally identified each lesson.
To improve the consistency and quality of our design technology curriculum, we have based our current planning on the Kapow scheme, after reviewing a number of different curricular approaches. We then adapted this scheme to fit our needs and desired outcomes.
SEND pupils' access to the full curriculum is ensured in part by the nature of the subject and conclusively by the class teachers' and support staff consideration during planning and teaching. Further details on the SEND/Vulnerable page.