At Alvechurch Middle School, Design Technology is designed to provide pupils with a wide range of skills and opportunities. We aim for all pupils, regardless of prior experience to be given opportunities to develop in each of the different areas of the design cycle. Lessons are structured to encourage our pupils to become independent, confident and inquisitive learners.
The Design Technology curriculum is structured to engage learners through both theory and practical based tasks working in each of the three different areas of the curriculum over the academic year. (Textiles, Food Technology and Resistant Materials)
Pupils are encouraged to use their creativity and logical thinking to design and craft products to fit a given brief, developing an understanding of different materials, tools and processes throughout their learning journey. Pupils are taught reflect their understanding and rationale within design and evaluation work and to justify decisions made during practical tasks and backed by theory and understanding of the materials and tools they are using.
What is distinctive about Design Technology at Alvechurch C of E Middle School?
Design Technology is taught in specialist classrooms, fully equipped with a range of tools and equipment.
Inclusivity is at the heart of everything that we do, pupils are fully supported to become independent, thoughtful designers with the confidence to experiment and work with a range of different tools and materials.
Modelling is an essential part of the learning process, in Design Technology, we use modelling to support the transfer of skills from design up to practical making.
Adaptive teaching is essential to ensure that all pupils access and achieve within their educational journey.
Design Technology is structured to allow an equal split of time focused on each of the three subject areas. The curriculum is designed to provide pupils as much time as possible taking part in the practical aspect of the subject.
Retrieval practice is encouraged frequently to draw on prior learning, this helps to build and develop pupil understanding of topics and processes.
Cross curricular links are made so that pupils recognise how Design Technology draws upon knowledge from a wide range of subjects.
Projects are carefully designed to encourage pupils to develop their creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
The Curriculum Journey for every pupil in Design Technology looks like this:
How can you support your child in Design Technology?
Encourage your child to ‘help’ and get involved with cooking at home.
Putting things in and taking things out of the oven (using oven gloves not a tea towel) is great practice. Weighing out ingredients, preparing food, peeling and chopping are life skills.
Demonstrate and practice healthy eating and meal preparation with them, and share this with us in school. Its always lovely to see photos of things pupils have cooked.
Get crafty.
Hands on craft at home helps to build confidence when in the classroom, experiment with different materials (sewing, wood work, pottery, LEGO- anything hands on.)
Encourage the questions.
Looking at how different things are made, put together is really interesting, involving your child when fixing or building things at home helps to reinforce understanding around construction.
Get them washing up!
It may sound simple, but these basic skills form the basis of so many of our lessons.