DT
DT Coordinator: Mrs Leavesley
“We’re changing the world with technology.” - Bill Gates.
The Strands of the DT National Curriculum
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.
Our Vision for Design and Technology at Eaves
At Eaves, our vision is for Design & Technology to inspire children to become curious, inquisitive and creative problem-solvers who look at the world around them and ask: How does this work? Why has it been designed this way? How could I make it better?
We want children to understand that Design & Technology is all around them and has the power to solve real problems, meet people's needs and shape the world in which we live. Our curriculum therefore encourages children to investigate existing products, explore how things work, generate imaginative ideas and develop the practical and technical knowledge needed to turn those ideas into reality.
Designing with Purpose
Throughout our curriculum, children work through a consistent process of Research, Design, Make and Evaluate, developing increasingly sophisticated knowledge and skills as they progress through school. Central to our approach are the three S's: designing and making Something, for Somebody, for Some Purpose. This ensures that children's projects have meaning and encourages them to think carefully about the needs of the user.
Children progressively develop their knowledge across structures, textiles, mechanisms, electrical components, computer programming and food technology, while making meaningful connections with other STEM subjects. They learn to select and use tools and materials safely, apply technical knowledge, solve problems and continually evaluate and refine their work.
Curiosity, Creativity and The Eaves Values
Design & Technology provides a natural opportunity to bring our EAVES values to life. Exploration encourages children to investigate materials, products and possibilities; Authenticity is developed through purposeful design for real users; Vision encourages children to imagine new possibilities; Encouragement supports resilience when designs do not work first time; and Synergy is developed as children collaborate, share expertise and connect learning across the curriculum.
We want children to recognise that mistakes and unsuccessful prototypes are an important part of the design process. Children are encouraged to test, question, adapt and improve, developing the resilience and independence needed to become confident designers and makers.
Oracy Through Design
Oracy is an important part of Design & Technology at Eaves. Purposeful talk enables children to generate and develop ideas together, explain design choices, use technical vocabulary, ask questions, justify decisions and give constructive feedback.
Through discussion and collaboration, children learn to build upon the ideas of others, respectfully challenge suggestions and articulate how and why their designs have changed. This reflects our wider approach to oracy, where children use talk to plan, explain, justify and reflect upon their learning.
From Ideas to the Wider World
We want children to understand that the products and technologies they encounter every day have been imagined, designed, tested and improved by people. Through studying designers, inventors and significant developments in design and technology, children begin to understand how innovation has changed the way we live and how their own ideas could contribute to the future.
Food Technology is also an important part of this journey. Children progressively develop practical food preparation skills alongside an understanding of nutrition, healthy choices and cooking, building knowledge and skills that can support them throughout life.
Ultimately, we want every Eaves child to leave primary school with the confidence to question the world around them, generate ideas, solve problems, take creative risks and turn their thinking into purposeful products. We want them to see themselves not simply as users of the designed world, but as the designers, makers, engineers and innovators of its future.
Question. Explore. Imagine. Design. Make. Evaluate. Improve. – Design & Technology The Eaves Way.
DT - Gallery
