Hackney New Primary School

Intent

At Hackney New Primary School our Design & Technology curriculum is constructed to inspire children to think innovatively and creatively whilst adopting an attitude to inquire, as well as the opportunity to develop their problem solving skills and resilience. 

Academic excellence in DT requires our children to research, design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, encouraging them to think like designers, consider their own and others’ needs, show an awareness of aesthetics and adapt work to improve the overall effectiveness of their designs. As children progress through our school, they will gain an increased understanding of products, the design and evaluation process and using tools safely with growing independence.

We instil Self-belief in all of our students by creating proto-types and allowing time and space for our students to evaluate the effectiveness of an item and the time to adapt their designs. We also share examples of designers and engineers with products that failed the first time, with  the rigorous process of re-visiting and continuously adapting to create a final product.  DT lessons  children will continue to build their resilience needed to continuously adapt and problem solve throughout the design process. 

Intellectual curiosity in DT is asking questions about the durability and suitability of materials, it is about innovating new designs and considering ways to improve existing designs for functionality. We intend for all children to acquire appropriate technical knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. It is our aim, where possible, to generate cross curricular links with other subjects, such as mathematics, science, computing, and art so that children understand how to combine their pre-existing knowledge with new skills, inspiring the next generation of designers, architects, chefs or engineers. 
In DT we ensure children understand their responsibility as designers by encouraging our students to think about using eco-friendly materials, reducing their waste and considering sustainability from the manufacturing of materials to  transportation as well as their ability to be recycled or repurposed after use.

Implementation

To ensure that high quality Design & Technology lessons take place throughout the whole school we implement a curriculum which is progressive and has carefully considered development of skills from Reception through to Year 6. DT Lessons are taught on a weekly basis, alternating between Art & DT each half term. The subject leader has designed planning to ensure that topics remain engaging, exciting and relevant to the children at HNPS. The children will experience a progressive curriculum consisting of: structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, textiles and food technology. Each of these topics are taught each year building on and extending prior knowledge. 

Each Design & Technology lesson is planned through termly topics with a focus on knowledge, understanding and skills. All children will have visual aids to support with the teaching of key vocabulary. This will enable the children to use the key vocabulary during pupil conferencing. After making prototypes, all students will have the opportunity to evaluate their  products assessing its suitability against their design criteria before making their final piece. Once the final product is complete students will have the opportunity for self and consumer feedback on how user friendly the product is. In upper key stage two children will conduct their own market research before setting their own design criteria.

Food Technology is taught throughout Hackney History week to enable students to prepare, adapt and taste a diverse range of cuisines from the diverse range of cultures that make up our local community. In order to ensure all children feel successful in food technology,  at HNPS we provide children with the opportunity to explore the sensory aspect of a range of foods linked to the cuisine before beginning the design process. As part of our commitment to being a rights respecting school, we ensure that children are made aware of Article 24 of the UNRC which states that all children have the right to nutritious food so that children can stay healthy. Alongside our school caterer Fuel for Learning, our aim in food technology is to continue broadening children’s taste palates and exposure to a range of seasonal ingredients and staple dishes from various countries around the world. By the end of Key Stage two, our children will understand the importance of good nutrition and will be equipped with the knowledge of how to prepare and adapt a range of dishes in order to create healthy, balanced meals.

Impact

Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities, pupils at HNPS develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills which see them equipped to take on further learning in secondary education. Pupil conferencing enables us to assess the children’s knowledge, skills and enjoyment of what they have learnt during each topic and to check that learning is purposeful. Alongside this, photos and videos are uploaded to Tapestry throughout the designing and construction phases, evidencing application of skill in real time. Pupil’s skills and knowledge are formatively assessed by the class teacher throughout the learning process and a bespoke end of unit is a means of summative assessment for each student, which informs the subject lead of any further areas for curriculum development, pupil support and/or training requirements for staff. Teachers can also refer back to the detailed skills progression grid to assess and provide students with individualised next steps.