Our vision

Our school vision underpins our Design and Technology curriculum, enabling children to flourish into enthusiastic and resilient learners who respect and support each other through their creative learning journey. 

Our Pilgrim learning journey for Design and Technology is shown here.

Intent

At Pilgrim, our D&T curriculum is designed to prepare children for the developing world and provide them with a real-life context for their learning. We believe  D&T helps develop creative, technical and practical skills and knowledge in design and allows children to see the world from a different standpoint. We aim to provide a learning environment where children feel secure to become innovators and creative risk-taking and problem solving is encouraged, both as individuals and part of a team. 

Through the study of design and technology, we want our children to be inspired to become engineers, designers, chefs and architects. Therefore we enable them to combine practical skills in design, structures, mechanisms, textiles and food products with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. Our children are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise throughout their D&T learning journey.

Implementation

Lessons at Pilgrim are planned carefully in line with the National Curriculum and our self-developed ‘Pilgrim Progress’ assessment procedures provide support for staff and pupils to monitor their progress against the gaining of key skills and knowledge. This important spine allows us to manage our split classes and plan a clear cycle of topics and learning that begins with an individual child's starting point- from safely using and exploring a variety of materials, tools and techniques in EYFS to a complex understanding of the DT process in KS1 and KS2.The foundation stones to a successful education lie in the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge.

All teaching of DT follows the design, make and evaluate cycle and each design process is rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. Teachers create a positive attitude to learning and reinforce the expectation that all pupils are capable of high standards in their designs and products Through the teaching of DT our pupils acquire a broad range of technical knowledge and vocabulary whilst also drawing on disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art.

Our pupils use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing and fit-for-purpose products. Planning should be through appropriate formats eg annotated sketches, patterns/templates, communicating ideas verbally and prototypes/’mock-ups’. While making, children will be given a wide range of tools, materials and components including textiles, construction equipment and ingredients to choose freely from. They build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to make high-quality prototypes and products for a range of users. At the end of the design process, they will evaluate own products against a design criteria. When additional needs are identified, we support all children to access learning and challenge individuals to deepen their understanding.

Pilgrim Progress 

Our Taskmaster Competition Winners!

Well done to everyone for their fantastic efforts in the egg challenge.  You were brilliant!

The Taskmaster found it so hard to choose the winner that he decided to give lots of prizes!  Here he is making his selection!

What have we been learning in Design Technology?

Year 6 retold the story of the wise and foolish men through D.T activities.

As part of a cross curricular lesson, Year 3 created Stonehenge out of play dough. 

Year 1 made moving pictures and pop-up cards.

I know how to select and use appropriate equipment and tools

What have we been reading in Design Technology?

Once there was a lighthouse keeper called Mr. Grinling. At night time he lived in a small white cottage perched high on the cliffs, and in the daytime he rowed out to his lighthouse to clean and polish the light. Every day Mr Grinling tucks into delicious lunch, prepared by his wife, Mrs Grinling. But Mr Grinling isn't the only one who enjoys the tasty food, so Mrs Grinling has to think of a way to stop the greedy seagulls from stealing the lighthouse keeper's lunch.