Design is how it works.
- Steve Jobs
Intent
At Keyham Barton, we believe in supporting our students to become creative problem solvers and independent thinkers. Our DT curriculum is an integral part of enabling these valuable lifelong skills, and is designed to encourage students to use their creativity and imagination to solve real world problems, considering making products to a design specification focused on the needs, wants and values of others and themselves. We aim to integrate other disciplines into our DT curriculum, such as Geography, Science, Mathematics, and Computing. A critical aspect of our curriculum is for the students to critique existing products, self evaluate and reflect upon their own designs and products and consider whether it meets the design specifications. Throughout the curriculum, our students are encouraged to be innovative and take risks with their designs to fully explore the topic.
Implement
Through a variety of practical and creative activities, we explore the discovery of knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage with the iterative process of identifying, designing and making to fulfil a need. The students design and create products that consider functionality and purpose, which are relevant to a wide range of sectors in daily life (for example, at home, school, leisure, industry and the wider environment).
When designing and making, the students are taught to:
Design:
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Utilise research techniques to develop design criteria that inform the design of products that are fit for purpose and functional, and yet are innovative and aesthetically pleasing to those who the product is intended.
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Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotation and cross sections of sketches and diagrams, and the development of prototypes and patterns.
Make:
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Choose and use a wide range of tools, equipment and techniques to effectively produce their design.
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Choose and use a range of appropriate materials and components that are functional, appropriate and aesthetically pleasing.
Evaluate:
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Investigate and critique a range of existing products.
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Self-evaluate their own design ideas and products against the design specification, as well as incorporating the critical evaluation of their peers.
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Understand how key events and individuals in history have shaped the world
Technical Knowledge:
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Apply their knowledge of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
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Understand the mechanics and electronics in their own designs.
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Apply their knowledge of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
Impact
We ensure that our students develop creativity, practical and technical skills which are fundamental to everyday life in an increasingly technological society. Our curriculum enables our students to build and apply their extensive knowledge, understanding and skills to design and make high quality products for a wide range of consumers. We ensure that our students are confident to critically evaluate their own work and accept the evaluation of others, as well as testing their own ideas and products.
Our curriculum enables our students to learn how to take risks, become resourceful, innovative, inventive, and capable members of society. Through critique of past and present design and technology, our students develop the awareness of the impact it has on daily life and the wider world. By providing high quality DT education, we are equipping our students with the skills to go into the wider world, and make it a more creative, wealthy and innovative place.
Be who God made you to be and set the world on fire.