Gotherington Primary School

Intent
Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think creatively to solve problems both as individuals and collaboratively. At Gotherington, we encourage children to be creative and use their imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers. Design and technology at Gotherington develops children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. Our aim is to provide the children with a broad range of experiences that inspire them to be creative and encourages them to think about important issues that affect the world around them. By the time our children leave us, they will be well equipped with the skills and the knowledge to research, design, make and evaluate their work and have a greater understanding of how D&T makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the world. 

Implementation
Teachers plan and deliver a variety of practical activities that encourage children to think creatively. The children work in a range of contexts linked, where possible, to the theme for the term, and partake in an iterative design and make process covering a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding. The children are encouraged to experiment with a range of tools, materials and components. Prior learning is always considered at the planning stage and key techniques/skills are revisited where necessary to ensure progression of all children. Classroom teaching is enhanced by enrichment activities delivered by outside agencies, such as the KNEX Challenge, to further inspire the children to become the engineers, designers, architects and chefs of tomorrow.

Impact
We wish to ensure that children learn to become innovative, creative and resourceful individuals with a good understanding of the modern technological world. We ensure that children are able to think critically, assess and evaluate their own ideas, work collaboratively with a range of people, and develop essential life-skills such as learning to cook nutritious food. We use a range of monitoring and assessment tools to ensure that children are making progress, such as work scrutiny, pupil voice and lesson observations.