Intent

DT should provide children with a real-life context for learning. At Co-op Academy Parkland, we want to allow children to aspire to be more through creating opportunities for them in the wider world. Through the DT curriculum, children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose or deeper meaning within their learning experience.

Implementation

Like our other wider curriculum subjects, DT is divided into three threads which form the main areas of study. These are

• Mechanisms and Structures
• Cooking and nutrition
• Textiles

The teaching structure alternates half termly with Art so that each term has a DT topic and an Art Topic. Where possible, purposeful links are established between the DT and wider curriculum however this is not essential.

All teaching follows a design/ make/ evaluate sequence; the design demonstrates the technical understanding and the main outcome is rooted in a real-life context. This real-life basis also allows the children to discuss and explore a range of careers and jobs available to them within STEM.

Impact

On leaving our school our children will have developed skills in 4 key areas. They will be able to use their observations to explain and improve existing products including mentioning how these products can and could be used in the world around them, they will have skills in design and the process of idea creation with an understanding of how to match a product to a design brief. Based on products both existing and created they will be able to evaluate and investigate different products, make changes and adapt to fit a specific purpose. They will have engaged with various different products for many purposes and will be able to make choices around their understanding of these.

They will be able to apply these skills and knowledge based on their understanding of the world around them. They will use experiences to apply to new challenges in the context of drawing on experiences at our school to apply to their future learning and lives.