Design Technology

At St James’ Lanehead, DT is taught thematically with skills and projects carefully mapped against the curriculum. The skills and knowledge taught is built up and sequenced through the school. Due to the nature of the vertically grouped classes, a two—year rolling program ensures the complete coverage of skills on a bi-annual cycle.

Our aims for Design and Technology is to ensure that by the end of KS2 all pupils:

• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

In addition to our curriculum provision, we hold a ‘DT day’ annually to raise the profile of Design and Technology throughout the school. We are also aspirational to provide challenge to all pupils.

Children have low starting points following their baseline reception.

Design and Technology is celebrated outside of the curriculum and a STEM club is in place for pupils in KS2 and KS1 including FSM. Within the STEM club we work alongside local industry to enhance the aspirations of our pupils, a STEM competition is in place against other schools in the local area, encouraging enterprise and sharing of good practice.

The DT leader is working with the PE lead regarding holiday hunger and the Science lead regarding healthy eating in school. We are also working with our talented cooks in the school kitchen to support our learning.

STEM Day

On STEM Day, the children evaluated the structures within school and outside on the playground. We discussed what made them safe and strong.  We then experimented with different ways to join materials together and learnt how to make a fold by measuring and scoring.  The children were then visited by Jack from Futaba who told us all the fantastic opportunities within the engineering trade, right here in Burnley! We were very impressed with the robots and Jack was very impressed with the children’s questions. In the afternoon, the children planned and made their own animal enclosure. They then evaluated against the design criteria.