Design and Technology Framework: Introduction

Background

The Framework for teaching design and technology: Years 7, 8 and 9, which includes the teaching objectives, is part of the Government’s drive to improve standards in schools. The Key Stage 3 National Strategy has five subject strands – English, mathematics, science, ICT and foundation subjects. The design and technology Framework within the foundation subjects strand was piloted during the academic year 2003–04 by about 80 schools in ten LEAs. Most of these schools participated in the original pilot of the strands and they therefore built on considerable experience of managing the Key Stage 3 Strategy and evaluating further development work.

Teachers of design and technology have already benefited from the general support offered by the foundation subjects strand of the Key Stage 3 National Strategy; ten per cent of schools nominated the design and technology department to receive additional support in 2002/2003. More systematic work on the design and technology has already attracted considerable interest. Design and technology offers an attractive combination of practical skills, application of knowledge and understanding from a range of subjects, personal development and problem-solving.

As an evolving subject within the National Curriculum, that faces a review of Key Stage 3 in relation to changes at Key Stage 4, design and technology has been identified as needing genuine subject-specific support.

The objectives of the national programme for design and technology are to:

• increase expectations and challenges in teaching
• define progression through the yearly objectives in key skills and concepts to facilitate planning, teaching and assessment
• improve the teaching of designing
• improve the quality of teaching in design and technology by providing examples of effective teaching approaches, drawn from the training materials for foundation subjects, that include questioning, modelling and structuring lessons.

The design and technology Framework pilot in 2003/2004 provided valuable lessons about the needs of subjects that fall outside statutory tests and targets, yet contribute substantially to pupils' learning.