Design and Technology 

Trust Curriculum Intent

Our mission is to provide a cradle to career education that allows our children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. By the age of 18, we want every child to have the option of university or a high quality alternative. 

Subject Curriculum Intent

Design and Technology at Brigshaw encourages students to be problem solvers, risk takers and creative thinkers and firmly believes in allowing students to explore and test their ideas through practical tasks and experiencing working with a wide range of materials, equipment and processes first hand.  Our curriculum enables students to acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and skills. Design and Technology is an inclusive subject where all students are encouraged to work collaboratively and to take risks when designing within a context or exploring the needs of a focus group. We promote independence, provide practical learning experiences using equipment and processes they may not have used before, preparing students for a successful life in modern Britain by promoting how new technologies, engineering and food preparation has an impact on daily life and the wider community. High quality Design Technology and Food education is essential to fostering creativity, and promotes wellbeing in our students.

Curriculum Principles

• Reverse Planning In Design and Technology, reverse planning is essential to ensure all students have had the opportunity to work with a range of materials, ingredients and tools at KS3, ready to complete the GCSE projects, safely, confidently and successfully at KS4. Students develop these skills and safety procedures every lesson right from Yr7 through to Yr11. This gives students the opportunity to gain health and safety understanding and practical skills, that they can use beyond school.
• Powerful Knowledge is developed in Design and Technology, by developing pupils’ understanding and knowledge of a range of materials including timbers, polymers, textiles and food. Students are taught to identify the properties of different materials/ ingredients and how they can be used to make a range of products. Students can independently design, create and reflect upon their outcomes.
• Cultural Capital is a critical part of the inclusivity Design and Technology curriculum as we encourage and prepare all students to have a successful life in Modern Britain. Students examine foods and recipes from across different cultures and times in history. 

In Design and Technology pupils will develop a critical understanding of the impact of design on daily life and the wider world. Students are encouraged to consider diverse perspectives and worldwide views when designing products or solutions, designing products that are inclusive and culturally sensitive. Ethics, sustainability and environmental responsibility are a key area of the curriculum, teaching students how to create products that align with those values. 

• Substantive (“Know That”) knowledge happens through the content and skills delivered in a safe and purposeful environment which empowers pupils to complete practical tasks independently and skillfully to realise their ideas. The curriculum covers a number of  great designers and the contexts of their designs, so that pupils understand that design and technology is all around them, helping to shape the world in which they live.

• Procedural and Disciplinary (“Know How”) Knowledge    takes place through the sharing of excellent subject knowledge, pupils are able to evaluate past and present designs and technologies. Our pupils will develop a critical understanding of the impact of design on daily life and the wider world. Students using all their previous skills and expertise are able to think creatively and find a solution that meets the needs of the brief or problem. 

• Cognitive Psychology is developed in practical Design and Technology lessons through the practice of planning, chunking tasks, demonstrating and modelling, then allowing students to experiment once they have developed the basic skills. By repeating the skills and techniques using different media, builds the confidence of the students allowing them to use their creative flare to find working solutions.

What will this look like at implementation?

Please use the links below to explore how our curriculum looks, for each year group, as a result of these guiding principles

How can you support students’ learning from home?

• Shop for ingredients and cook meals together
• If possible, grow your own fruit/vegetables at home.
• Explore and experiment with new culinary creations together
• Let them help, where possible, if you’re doing any DIY 
• Watch DIY programs and tutorials together to gain new skills and understanding