1. SCHOOL POLICY FOR: Design and Technology

Responsible person – Mr. R. Hollwey

Date adopted: 28.1.02    Review by: Annually

Date Reviewed: 16.09.04

2. HOW THE POLICY WAS DEVELOPED

This policy was written to outline the teaching and learning of design and technology and to support all the design and technology activities within the school.  It was drawn up following an audit of current practice and consultation with teaching staff.  The results were compared to the requirements of Curriculum 2000 and amendments made by incorporating the QCA Scheme of Work for the subject.

3. PURPOSE

Design Technology is a largely practical subject which is concerned with understanding and exploring the way in which things work.  It involves designing, manufacturing and evaluating products using appropriate tools and materials and solving the problems which are encountered in this process. It is important that children develop the understanding that there may be more than one solution and that personal preferences play a part.

4. INTENTIONS

Windmill School intends to ensure Design and Technology offers opportunities for children to:

• develop their designing and making skills
• develop knowledge and understanding
• develop their capability to create high quality products through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding
• nurture creativity and innovation through designing and making
• explore attitudes to and values about the made world and how we live and work within it
• develop an understanding of technological process, products and their manufacture and their contribution to our society.
• the use of C.A.D (computer aided design.)

5. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To ensure this subject provides opportunities for all children to be involved in practical activities, by the end of Key Stage One, most children will be able to –

• use a range of materials to design and make simple products
• select materials, tools and techniques and explain choices
• to understand simple mechanisms and structures
• to measure, assemble, join and combine materials in a variety of ways using tools safely
• investigate and evaluate simple products, commenting on their main features
• To continue to provide opportunities for all children to be involved in practical activities, by the end of Key Stage Two, most children will be able to –
• use knowledge and understanding of a range of materials, components and techniques to design and make quality products
• evaluate work as it develops and suggest alternatives
• produce designs and plans which list the stages involved in making a product and resources required
• accurately measure, mark, cut, join and combine a variety of materials, working safely and recognising hazards to themselves and others
• understand the use of electrical and mechanical systems and more complex structures
• evaluate what is or is not working well in a product

6. PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers will develop a sound knowledge of Design and Technology and use a range of methods and approaches refined through in service training and school based workshops.

Children will experience three types of activities that interlink.

• Investigative, disassembly and evaluative activities – IDEAs
• Focused practical tasks – FPTs
• Designing and making assignments – DMAs

7. EQUAL ACCESS AND OUTCOME

Equality of opportunities is a fundamental right that must be allowed to all children, regardless of race, culture, gender, disability or special educational needs. It is important for all children to experience the range of design and technology activities.

Children with special educational needs, whether intellectual or physical, will have full access to all aspects of this subject through activities matched carefully to their abilities and aptitudes. Where appropriate, support staff will be involved.

Activities will be adapted in accordance with the QCA circular ‘Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties – Design and Technology’.

8. HEALTH AND SAFETY

Staff at Windmill will ensure safe handling of materials, tools and equipment in accordance with ‘Design and Technology Health and Safety Guidelines’ that are displayed centrally with resources. (See also the school’s Health and Safety policy)

9. IMPLEMENTATION

The policy provides a structure of Design and Technology experiences throughout the two Key Stages and, when used in conjunction with the curriculum map based on the QCA Scheme of Work, will ensure progression and continuity.

Strong curricular links exist with Literacy, Numeracy, I.C.T., Science and Art.  The subject also provides the opportunity to explore aspects of PSHE and Citizenship.  The curriculum leader will arrange staff meetings and training sessions according to need.

The curriculum leaders role will be to –

• Prepare guidelines
• Support all staff
• Organise and order resources
• Keep abreast of current practice through INSET
• Monitor design and technology work throughout the school

10. CONTINUITY AND PROGRESSION

To ensure children make progress, teaching will promote opportunities for children as they move through Key Stage One and Two, to develop the areas below –

• an increase in knowledge, skills and understanding
• moving from familiar to unfamiliar concepts
• meeting needs which demand more complex or difficult solutions
• an increase in a child’s own understanding of their learning

11. RESOURCING

The curriculum leader will be responsible for ordering resources to support the curriculum.  Staff will be kept informed about new materials and resources as they are acquired.  Resources are stored in a central area.

12. REPORTING

The progress of each child in Design and Technology will be monitored and reported to parents in the Windmill annual School Report as in accordance with the school’s A.R.R. policy.

All members of staff will have the opportunity to discuss and to review the reporting arrangements for Design Technology.

Individual pupil records are recorded in pupil record files at the end of each academic year and transferred to next year’s teacher.