Elm Hall Primary School

‘Design and Technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizzkids turn their bright ideas into useful products’ James Dyson

My name is Hannah Shoard and I am the Design Technology lead at Elm Hall Primary School. 

At Elm Hall, Design and Technology provides the opportunity for our children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real life and relevant problems, considering their own and others needs. Our curriculum endeavours to create children who are passionate about inventing and who will go on to become the designers, inventors and imaginative, detailed creators of the future, in which ever field of work they choose. Evaluating is a huge part of Design Technology and integral to the process of how we teach and how children learn. Our curriculum creates an inspiring and meaningful subject that includes memorable, enjoyable and challenging tasks for the children to explore. We endeavour to create children who are focused learners that can successfully design and create products of purpose and that aren’t afraid to design solutions to problems, evaluate and improve their work.

Our curriculum is taught through practical learning. We follow the process of design, make and evaluate, however, this isn’t a three step process. We encourage the children to revisit their designs, adapt their first ideas and evaluate and improve their products. Our units of learning provide opportunities for the children to explore food and nutrition, electrical systems, textiles, structures and mechanics.

 Our curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

DT is taught at Elm Hall via projects that enable DT to be taught in depth and for children to follow the design process. Each project is taught over a series of 5/6 lessons following our structure of: Research, design, plan, make and evaluate. 

1. Researching and Immersing -Exploring the topic, design criteria or theme broadly, taking notes, making observations, sketches and studying. Children to look at a range of skills, mechanisms and materials, and how they have been used.
2. Acquire/Research new skills -Looking at a particular focus or making skill in more detail. Imitation and research can be used at this phase. Children would also practice a range of skills used in the particular field they are working in.
3. Designing- Children should design their piece considering their research and design criteria. Children should complete more than one design and evaluate which is the best according to their given criteria.
4. Making- Children to use their designs to create their final piece applying their newly learnt skills.
5. Evaluating- Children are to evaluate their own and others work.

In a DT unit teachers are expected to move through the design process and create final pieces for a target client; and evaluate their work

There are three types of D&T activities:

1. Investigative and Evaluative Activities (IEAs) where children learn from a range of existing products and find out about D&T in the wider world;
2. Focused Tasks (FTs) where they are taught specific technical knowledge, designing skills and making skills;
3. Design, Make and Evaluate Assignment (DMEA) where children create functional products with users and purposes in mind.

Our Design and Technology curriculum prepares our children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas and eventually making suitable and well thought out products and systems. We are committed to nurturing pupils’ curiosity and creativity, as well as preparing them for living in a modern world where technology is rapidly changing and advancing. Within the examples below, we can clearly see evidence of our children applying these skills to create research driven, carefully designed, purposeful projects which allow our children to let their creativity and passion flow.