How children learn to be designers, makers and engineers @TJ...

Design and Technology Vision Statement:

Design and technology, is an aspiring, rigorous and practical subject. At Thomas Jolyffe Primary School, we believe that children should use their creativity and imagination to make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Through our DT curriculum, children are inspired by and to think like engineers, chefs, designers and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, textiles, mechanisms, food products and electrical systems with a real-life purpose. They are supported in their exploration of a range of DT projects so they are able to approach this area of the curriculum with confidence, enthusiasm and the appropriate level of skill. DT gives children at Thomas Jolyffe the opportunity to demonstrate off of our school values and visions.

DT  Implementation @TJ:

We aim to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Design and technology through a range of engaging topics taken form the IPC (international Primary Curriculum). Through carefully planned lessons children will cover all strands of the D&T curriculum. These include:

-Research imagine and innovate

-Plan, build, test

-Test and evaluate

-Technology and society

-Food and nutrition

As well as stand-alone DT lessons, throughout the year, we also have various whole school DT projects (such as the Coronation project) as well as projects carefully linked with other subjects (such as international week) which inspires the whole school community (including parents) to get involved with DT in a fun end engaging way.

Subject specific language is modelled throughout lessons which enables children to use key vocabulary correctly.

DT Curriculum Impact @TJ:

At Thomas Jolyffe we intend that the impact of our DT planning and delivery  will mean that:

• Children will develop imaginative thinking which enables them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making;
• Children will talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas;
• Children will have opportunities to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures;
• Children will have opportunity to to explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it;
• Children will develop an understanding of technological processes, products, and their manufacture, and their contribution to our society;
• Children will foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making.

In Reception, children begin their technological journey at Thomas Jolyffe by using a range of materials and media to build, create and design models. Children safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children are able to share their creations, explaining the process they have used. 

By Year One children begin to link their learning to wider world in Technology by discovering where different foods come from, focussing on adopting healthy lifestyle choices. As they move through Year One the focus remains on food and healthy choices through planting, nurturing and harvesting food for themselves. In design children have opportunites to design with purpose such as making waterproof coats for soft toys and creating characters for stories by making sock puppets.

As they progress into Year Two children look in growing depth at designing, planning and testing things they make, from vehicles to houses, board game to puppets. This gives children a firm foundation from which to move on to Key Stage 2.

Children begin their time in Key Stage 2 with an introduction to mechanics. Using pulleys and cogs they learn about the Canal du Midi. They learn to consider evaluating and improving upon their original designs. Later in Year 3, during their Scavengers and Settlers unit of work, children learn about early farming and food.

By Year 4 children build on their Key Stage 1 experiences and find out about not only where food comes from but how it is transported around the globe. The mechanical aspect of technology grows as children learn about wheels, pulleys, lever, slides and floats.

During Year 5, children continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of food. Moving on to learn about different food groups, safe storage and preparation of food, culminating in the planning, creation and evaluation of an inspired-island dish.

In preparation for secondary school, children begin to add a social/ moral dimension to their knowledge of how technology affects our daily lives. They also create their own political party to create change within the school community, creating their own marketing, logos and manifesto materials. 

They end their year by learning about the impact printing has on life and creating their own book.

We hope that this progressive curriculum will inspire children at Thomas Jolyffe to become the engineers, makers and designers of the future. 

Mrs Sarah Carr (DT Coordinator)