At Djanogly Northgate Academy, our intent for Design and Technology is to provide our students with the skills and knowledge to become creative problem-solvers and innovators. In addition to the National Curriculum in England, we aim to provide our children with mirrors of the community they live in and windows to the wider world by carefully selecting engineers from the past and present to inspire them. Through cross-curricular links, we will show students the connections between Design and Technology and other subjects. Our goal is for students to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them in preparation for their future.

Linking to our Values and Behaviours;

• Discover - In our Design and Technology curriculum, pupils set ambitious goals and explore creative pathways to achieve them. With a focus on independent problem-solving, children learn to experiment, make mistakes, and reflect on their processes to improve. They break down larger tasks into manageable steps, fostering resilience and creativity. This approach nurtures confident, inventive learners prepared to tackle future challenges.
• Nurture - In our Design and Technology lessons, pupils engage in collaborative discussions to refine their designs and ideas. They'll learn to listen actively, share resources and tips, and express their viewpoints even when opinions differ. This process not only enhances their final products but also fosters respectful communication and teamwork skills. 
• Aspire - At Northgate, we inspire students to dream big and take initiative in their learning. Pupils delve into a world of creativity, using their knowledge and surroundings to spark innovative ideas. By exploring diverse designers, products, and brands, they develop their unique style and design approach. This journey empowers them to become resilient creators, ready to shape the future with confidence and originality. 

Implementation

We implement our intent by organising project days when students can collaborate, design, and create. Project days allow children to become immersed in the design process, giving them a sense of what it feels like to be an engineer. These project days will provide hands-on experiences that allow students to apply their knowledge and skills in practical ways. Additionally, we will offer enrichment opportunities such as additional project days (Christmas- making links with Art), involvement in nationwide competitions and visits and assemblies led by professionals in the field. Extra-curricular clubs have provided an opportunity for identified gaps to be filled in textiles. Long term plan is linked to our Big Ideas. By making cross-curricular links, we will show students how design and technology play a role in various subjects, making learning more meaningful and connected.

Design and Technology at Northgate begins in our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). We ignite curiosity and imagination in our youngest learners through exploring exciting topics like food, celebrations, and materials. Offering continuous access to construction and the craft workshop develops both creative and fine motor skills, building a strong foundation for their future learning.
Through carefully mapped long-term plans, children’s skills are developed vertically as they progress through school. Engaging project days allow them to dive deeper into their learning, fostering creativity and problem-solving. Design and Technology at Northgate is all about hands-on, joyful learning, setting the stage for future innovation.

Process Model

In each project, children work through the four processes of the Design and Technology model. As children progress through each academic year, the processes develop and challenge the learners to deepen their knowledge and skills within Design and Technology.

End of Key Stage 1 milestones

Design

• Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.

Make

• Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
• Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.

Evaluate

• Explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
• Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.

Technical Knowledge

• Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.
• Explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles] in their products.

End of Key Stage 2 milestones

Design

• Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups. 
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.

Make  

• Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing] accurately.
• Select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Evaluate

• Investigate and analyse a range of existing products.
• Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work.
• Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.

Technical knowledge

• Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures. 
• Understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages].
• Understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors].
• Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Cooking and Nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open the door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

Key stage 1

•  Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes and understand where food comes from.

Key stage 2

• Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.
• Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
• Understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology teaching will be measured through pupil voice, evidence in floor books, and progression in completed projects. By listening to students' feedback and reflections, we can understand how they are engaging with the subject and what areas we can improve upon. The evidence in floor books will showcase the journey of students' learning and the skills they have developed over time. Lastly, by tracking the progression of completed projects, we can see how students have grown in their abilities to design, create, and problem solve. Overall, we aim for our students to be confident, creative, and equipped with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world.