DT

Curriculum Intent

At Purley C of E Primary School our design and technology curriculum is designed to prepare children for the developing world. The subject encourages children to become creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Through the study of design and technology children combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design and make a product. Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product, this is a key skill which they need throughout their life. Design and Technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.

At Purley pupils work in a range of contexts through our topic-based approach which allows for cross curricular links to be made.

We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. In design projects, pupils are encouraged to design for themselves, using research and sketches as aides, make - using tools and materials, evaluate their product and build their technical knowledge.

Furthermore, as part of their work with food, pupils explore how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. By instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Aims

The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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.