D.T.

At Whyteleafe, there are always interesting and exciting design and technology projects happening around the school from EYFS to Year 6.  Design and technology brings learning to life - children learn the skills of designing, making, evaluating and understanding technical knowledge. This is taught through food, materials, textiles, electrical systems, computing, construction and mechanics. Design and technology is a great context for discovering literacy, maths, science, art and computing, especially for the more kinaesthetic learners. Children are given the opportunity to learn a wide range of new skills and build on the skills learnt in previous years.

Through design and technology lessons, we provide all children with opportunities to improve oracy skills. Technical vocabulary is taught in all year groups and children are encouraged to use this language within their independent work. Children throughout the school are given the opportunity to participate in termly exhibitions where other children and parents can view their work and they can present their work, explaining the thought processes and decision making.

Through our design and technology curriculum, all children are encouraged to deepen their understanding of processes and the ability to problem solve. Children are challenged through questioning to evaluate products and designs against set specifications.

Design and technology is assessed termly through teacher assessment against the National Curriculum.

As a school, we recognise that displaying the children’s creations is an important part of the artistic process.  Therefore, we have a dedicated space for children in all year groups to showcase their work. Children are proud of their work and look forward to seeing what is on display.

At Whyteleafe, we are fortunate to have a space within the school dedicated to art and DT.  The Art Studio is available for small groups of children to take part in additional art activities to develop their art techniques further. Parent volunteers share their artistic talents with the children to create large, eye-catching pieces of art that decorate the communal areas of the school building.

By the end of Year 6, a Whyteleafe child will have an understanding of what DT is and the knowledge of the processes and skills involved in designing, making and evaluating a product from a design specification.