DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

INTENT

At the Berkeley Academy, we STRIVE to do our best and to develop a high-quality Design and Technology curriculum that develops  pupils’ skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. 

We aim to:

• Deliver high-quality teaching by ensuring all lessons are sequenced and accessible to pupils of all abilities.
• Teach progressive skills that build on previous learning and enable all children to secure expected attainment shown in the National Curriculum.
• Develop and nurture inquisitive minds to equip the children with skills in order to find answers to their questions. 
• Encourage creativity and imagination so that pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.
• Support pupils to learn how to take risks, become independent, resilient, resourceful, innovative and enterprising.  Thus, giving them lifelong skills to equip them for their future.
• Give children the knowledge of the design process- research, design, evaluate, improve- so that they can articulate and follow it, understanding each of the steps and its value and purpose to their end product.

IMPLEMENTATION

• To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Design and Technology, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school.

• Design and technology is taught half-termly, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum.

• At The Berkeley Academy, we feel the teaching of Design and Technology enables all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.  We carefully plan lasting memories for the children which link to the subject.  For example, making Mars Rovers with a visiting technologist, picking the fruit themselves at a local fruit farm for fruit salads.

• Teachers plan carefully sequenced lessons for their class using our progression of knowledge and skills documents. Medium term plans ensure the curriculum is covered and, following the progression of skills, allows skills and knowledge to be taught progressively from year group to year group, allowing all children to achieve.

• Through a variety of purposeful, creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an interactive process of designing and making. The children design and create products while considering the function and purpose and which are relevant to a range of sectors (for example, the home, a school event, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment).

• Children study inspirational technologists (past and present) and learn how their work has enhanced the world that we live in. 

• Children’s work is recorded in DT books and also showcased around school to celebrate their exceptional work.

Assessment

We assess Design and Technology in a variety of ways, focussing on the essential knowledge, understanding and skills that all pupils should learn.  This includes, but is not limited to: observations, pupil voice, judging work produced based on the objective for the lesson and outcomes at the end of a unit.

IMPACT

At The Berkeley, the quality teaching of Design and Technology and the opportunities available encourages all pupils to be creative and think about important issues. The pupils will:

• Give pupils the necessary skills and knowledge so that they are ready for KS3.
• Create lasting memories and brings the whole school community together
• Support the well-being of our children, by allowing all pupils to flourish and celebrate strengths
• Encompass STEM subjects as well as English and other subjects on the curriculum in a fun and inspiring manner and put these subjects into context making them easier to digest and more understandable
• Enable our pupils to achieve above national expectations
• Develop resilience and perseverance
• Prepare pupils for the future
• Understand and appreciate the impact individuals have had in Design and Technology