Downs Junior School

"Technology makes possibilities; design makes solutions" John Maeda.

"You can't use up creativity - the more you use, the more you have." Maya Angelou (author and civil rights activist).

At Downs Junior school, we believe giving the children real life design and technology tasks will allow them to think critically and work creatively, building on their early childhood experiences of investigating objects around them.

This real life purpose, will allow the children to analyse why the product is needed and the product target market.  This will allow the children to participate in tomorrow's rapidly changing technologies by learning to think creatively, take risks and reflect on a rapidly changing world.  They will become problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team.  Through the study of design technology, children combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues.   

The children will be given opportunities to evaluate current products giving them a clear idea of the needs of the consumer.  Children can see from real products how important design and technology is to the local community and around the world. This will allow them to adapt and design their own products.  By doing this, we are allowing the children to have a clear understanding of the design process. 

The children will start every project with a design brief and finish with an evaluation and possible modification of their own projects.   Children will be taken through the designing and making processes, allowing them to experience how a designer works.  The children will also be given the opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, their uses and their effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk takers.