Design and Technology at Barnham

Why is DT important?

At Barnham CEVC Primary, all of our teaching and learning builds on our core vision; Inspire, Cherish and Believe.  We recognise the importance of DT in every aspect of daily life; we encourage children to be inquisitive throughout their time at our school and beyond.  The DT curriculum fosters the natural creativity of the child; encouraging respect for others’ visions and enhances the understanding of product creation for function, demand and  sustainability.  We believe that DT encompasses the acquisition of knowledge, concept, skills and determination.

Intent 

The Design and Technology we teach is based around the principles of evidence-led practice. This is to ensure that pupils are equipped to successfully think, work and communicate like a designer. Unapologetically ambitious, the  curriculum focuses on excellence in this subject through a range of disciplines and by referencing outstanding practitioners in this field.

The intention is that the exceptional teacher instruction inspires pupils to acquire knowledge as designers and technologists and enables them to skilfully apply their understanding.

A year of Design and Technology:

Our DT curriculum is delivered through a series of modules which are deliberately spaced throughout the academic year with opportunities to introduce and revisit key concepts.  This approach enables staff to deepen pupil understanding and embed learning. 

Our curriculum maps clearly show how our CUSP curriculum delivers (introduces and revisits) the National Curriculum expectations for DT within and across year groups.  All DT modules are identified on year group specific yearly overviews using green boxes. 

Implementation

Modular Approach – Knowledge 

At Barnham CEVCP, Design and Technology is taught across each year group in modules that enable pupils to study in depth key skills and vocabulary. Each module aims to activate and build upon prior learning, including EYFS, to ensure better cognition and retention. Each module is carefully sequenced to enable pupils to purposefully layer learning from previous sessions to facilitate the acquisition and retention of key knowledge. Each module is revisited either later in the year or in the following year as part of a spaced retrieval practice method to ensure pupils retain key knowledge and information.