The Importance of Design and Technology Education in Well Green Primary School

Design and Technology (D&T) education in Well Green Primary School plays a crucial role in developing children's creativity, problem-solving skills, and practical understanding of the world around them. By engaging with design tasks, young learners can explore and apply basic principles of engineering, design, and materials, which are essential for their cognitive and personal growth. This form of education fosters critical thinking, resilience, and the ability to think analytically as children work through the design process, from brainstorming ideas to prototyping and testing solutions.

Introducing D&T at an early age can also spark interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, encouraging children to pursue these fields as they grow. Moreover, it helps them appreciate the value of creating functional and innovative solutions to real-world challenges, linking their learning to everyday life. As D&T integrates arts, science, and engineering, it also promotes cross-curricular learning, enhancing skills in areas such as mathematics, science, and language.

The creative and technical aspects of D&T can have long-lasting benefits, preparing students for future careers that require both imaginative and practical skills. By learning how to prototype, experiment, and refine designs, students also develop confidence in their abilities to try new things and learn from failures.

A famous designer, Sir James Dyson, who is renowned for his innovations in technology and product design, once said:

"Design is about solving problems, not making things look pretty." – Sir James Dyson

This quote underscores the essence of Design and Technology education: it is not merely about aesthetics, but about engaging with real-world challenges and finding innovative solutions. This approach empowers children in primary school to think critically, develop practical skills, and become creative problem-solvers from a young age.

Intent:

At Well Green, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems in a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness. We seek to:

• Develop the children’s creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• Allow children to 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 and critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
• Enable children to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Implementation:

Design and Technology at Well Green is taught in blocks throughout the year so that children can achieve depth in their learning. The leadership team have identified the key knowledge and skills for each blocked topic and careful consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school.

DT planning is detailed and encompasses investigative and evaluative activities of existing products, focused on practical tasks to develop skills and the designing, making and evaluating of children’s own products. Children’s end-of-topic work is presented in booklet form, including photographic evidence of their products and shows clear evidence of their learning. Wherever possible, lessons are cross-curricular.

 Our Kagan strategies, based on collaborative learning in small groups, promote depth of learning as children are able to share their ideas and formulate their own questions in a mutually supportive environment where everyone’s ideas are valued. The sensible use of DT tools, including glue guns, saws and drills, is underpinned in lessons to promote children’s understanding of safe work practice. Children in each year group make an edible product, food hygiene and the risks of food contamination and poisoning are highlighted in detail, with emphasis placed on regular handwashing and knowledge of safe food storage.  

The DT leader undertakes monitoring of work each year and planning scrutiny. Summative assessments are made at the end of each unit at the end of each half-term.

Impact:

The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills, ensuring that all children experience challenge and success in DT by developing a Growth Mindset. Outcomes in DT booklets and their own products clearly evidence a broad and balanced DT curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge and skills.