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HOW OUR 4 CURRICULUM PRINCIPLES ARE REALISED AT SOUTHFIELD
Story Centred Knowledge Rich
Children begin each project with a story linked to a themed week, product or a designer, or a problem that needs designers to solve, closely linked to the purpose of the project.
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A picture or an actual product may be the starting point of the project; this would be put into context and used to tell a story.
Units are linked to other curriculum areas of study, for example, in Science, Electricity links to making small toy cars and Materials links to cushions. In History, Baghdad 900 CE links to the making of pitta bread
Children are immersed in the language and knowledge of design and construction over the range of Design and Technology areas: Textiles, Food and Nutrition and Mechanics. Using knowledge of designers and technological concepts, they weave in areas from other curriculum subjects.
The structure of the planning allows progression in Design and Technology and encourages children to:
Develop, plan and communicate ideas
In this area, pupils generate, develop and explain ideas for a product by collecting and using information from a number of sources, including ICT, advertisements and concrete materials (such as similar products) to draw inspiration from. They are given the opportunity to disassemble and investigate everyday objects in order to ascertain how they work. Pupils then use this knowledge to create their own unique selling point for their product, finding ways to add a unique element to an otherwise well known item.
Work with tools, equipment, materials and components to make quality products
Pupils learn about the different tools and techniques that can be used when making their product. They evaluate them in order to select the appropriate tools needed for creating their product. They measure, mark, cut out and shape a range of materials and then assemble, join and combine these components with accuracy.
Evaluate Process and Products
After inventing their own versions of products, the pupils reflect on their progress by identifying ways that they could improve and enhance their items. Where applicable, they also test their effectiveness to offer alternative production solutions to tackle issues that have come to light after product creation.
