Technology Intent, Implementation & Impact

INNOVATE . FOCUS . ACHIEVE

At Boldon School, all aspects of the school ethos, ‘Innovate, Focus and Achieve’ are underpinned across each subject area. In English, we strive to embed these principles within our curriculum:

Innovate: To create innovative and progressive schemes of work which are well-sequenced to ensure excellent student outcomes.

Focus: A clear drive and focus key threads for reading, writing and spoken language;
A relentless drive to sharpen key knowledge concepts and ensure understanding of portable themes.
To ensure that all lessons widen the scope and appreciation of grammar, vocabulary and subject content.

Achieve: The aim is to ensure proficiency in reading, writing and oracy; this is key to social mobility. Our robust curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in knowledge and understanding which lead to academic and personal success. We want our students to enjoy the subject, and be inspired to be innovative in their responses, to focus on skill acquisition and implementation and, ultimately, to achieve their true potential. Students will be well-skilled to succeed in their next steps, whether it be education, further training or the world of employment.

Each of our curriculum areas are carefully designed with the students at the heart of our thinking. The intent is for the framework for each programme of study in the National Curriculum to be well planned and sequenced to enable all students to build their knowledge and skills towards the agreed end points at each key stage. We consider how this is taught in order to support our students and ensure this is implemented effectively. For the desired impact to be reflected in the outcomes that students achieve through the education they have received.

This is embedded across each subject area: Design and Technology

Intent:

Our KS3 Curriculum is designed to cover the statutory requirements for the National Curriculum, but to have the needs of our learners at Boldon in mind also. Students work on a rotational basis, but the outcomes and levels of differentiation change throughout the year in each project. High quality teaching comes from specialist subject teachers and as such our students are taught by subject staff. The projects are designed to ensure that each year students embed and build upon previous knowledge and skills. Each subject area has skills, knowledge and levels of understanding that are non-negotiables and form the focus of the T&L and assessments. These are highlighted in our ‘question alerts’  sheets and end of rotation revision booklets. Literacy and key subject vocabulary form part of every lesson and students are taught retention techniques for each project. A similar approach leads into KS4 with retention and teaching design skills continuing to be the focus. All faculty staff constantly review the curriculum and adapt as required to meet the needs of all our learners.

Implementation:

Outstanding subject knowledge and strong teaching pedagogy is central to our design and technology curriculum. Students work in rotations to enable teaching by a specialist wherever possible, where not possible the specialist is constantly available for guidance and support in all aspects of the planning and implementation. As a constantly evolving subject area staff are supported by regular training on new technologies. Skills are sequenced from year 7-11 to ensure that students progress each year and that they can retrieve information from project to project. This is carried out by high quality questioning throughout practicals and demonstrations as well as theory lessons in booklets and end of session tests. 

Within each project students are assessed against the D&T National Curriculum areas, Designing, Making, Evaluating, Technical Knowledge and Cooking and Nutrition. Assessment sheets are used to show students what they are working at and how to progress to the next level with skills and knowledge. These assessments together from a project grade. The assessments are clear and easy to use for staff and students making more time for high quality teaching within lessons. 

Impact:

Historically KS3 and KS4 examination results are above national average. The analysis and evaluations of data are discussed through examination meetings with the Deputy Headteacher and the Headteacher. These are also reported to other senior leaders and the governing body to ensure challenge and accountability. Faculty learning walks are scheduled into the monitoring calendar for each academic year.  Student voice is used to survey the impact of the curriculum and evaluate the impact of the rotations on our students’ learning and enjoyment; these outcomes are used to help reshape the curriculum, going forward. Our students tell us they enjoy Design & Technology and we have many examples of students going on to work in the Engineering world, be apprentices or study Design or Engineering at University.