Our intention at West Hill School is to offer children the opportunities to design, create and evaluate. Our curriculum supports children with a view to them becoming designers, engineers and problem solvers of the future.
To be able to do this effectively, pupils will build upon and apply knowledge, understanding and skills. Children will demonstrate increased resilience and will strengthen problem solving skills throughout the creative process. They will also be able to critique, evaluate and test their own and others’ ideas and products.
All children engage in design and technology lessons which engage and excite. Children develop their speaking and listening skills through critiquing and evaluating designs and products.
From Early Years children are supported to explore and create. They are encouraged from Nursery to design, build and record.
DT is taught during our Enquiry weeks. The whole school embraces discovery week at the end of each term.
DT is taught within this week. Children are offered opportunities to make and explore across a number of days.
Children build on their knowledge and skills as they progress through the school. The foundation of experiences in using construction kits, basic tools, simple cutting, shaping and joining skills, as well as undertaking sensory activities involving a variety of materials including textiles and food, begin in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Children use a wide range of resources when creating their products and learn to use specific technical vocabulary. Within a sequence of lessons, once our children have made their product, they evaluate their product against the design criteria, and consider ways in which their product might be improved. Children learn to problem solve, work as a team, be creative and develop their independence and resilience.
