The sheet (see link below) was prepared to help me, as a class teacher, make the children in my class more aware of what they had achieved in different aspects of their learning in Design and Technology and what some of the "next steps" for them may be. My hope is that, by using guided self-recording of their achievements, this will encourage my pupils to reflect on and monitor their own performance and recognise their achievements and will also contribute to their record of achievement. In addition, it will help me to give relevant, individual pupil or group targets in Design and Technology and, since we no longer will be recording acievement using "levels", I hope that the sheet will enable me to give interim and end of year assessments of children's attainment in a way which is as accessible and transparent as possible. For me, this will be a profile of their achievement across the range of areas of the subject rather than any "best fit" number.

Items on the sheet are derived from example statements in the Design and Technology Association document Design and Technology Progression Framework.

Use the link below to download the Design and Technology Pupil Progress and Target/Self-Assessment sheet.

Design and Technology Pupil Progress and Target Sheet (Design and Technology National Curriculum, England) by G D J Jennings is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

For further information about the sheet and a way in which it could be used, please read on.

What are the main features of the Design and Technology Progress and Target Sheet?

• The statements cover a range of Design and Technology ideas and skills.
• Although the items on the record sheet are closely based on the progression statements in the D&T Association publication, Design and Technology Progression Framework, I have modified wording in most cases to make each point an "I can..." statement and to make it more accessible to the children.
• The target statements are intended to be clear and, in general, understandable to children without compromising technical meaning. Thought has been given to the age of the children when considering the language, but technical language has often been retained.
• Statements have been placed in rows of graded statements which correspond to informal strands - distinct areas of the subject in which pupils may show progress. The target statements, therefore, become progressively more difficult from left to right.
• For each statement there are three empty boxes available for the pupils to use to record their achievement on a particular occasion (guided by the teacher perhaps). The idea is that these may be shaded or ticked depending on the teacher’s preference. Some teachers may like to use one box per term. Others may wish to use them to indicate a level of understanding, competence or independence with which the pupil can demonstrate achievement or the degree to which they have mastered a particular skill or understanding. The way they are used is up to the teacher!
• The children may have a new sheet (and therefore a fresh start in relation to their targets) each year.

How is the Pupil Progress and Target/Self Assessment Sheet used?

• The sheet is printed, preferably enlarged on to A3 paper, and may be copied back-to-back with the second page to make a tri-fold sheet.
• The sheet might be taped into children's Design and Technology books or folders or be part of a self assessment booklet which is available lesson by lesson.
• Through discussion between teacher and pupil, each child should know the standard that they are normally expected to achieve by the end of a lesson or series of lessons. That is, whether – for them – they should normally be expecting (and be expected) to be able honestly to tick off that they can do and understand the work in a particular column. This is how the targets are individualised and this aspiration level can be altered (again through teacher/pupil discussion) through the year. I do not expect many children to be at the same "step" on all the different areas of learning in Design and Technology.

• Children can be asked to look at the sheet at the beginning of a lesson or activity when learning activities address one or a strand of the Progress and Target statements.
• Following work relating to one of these statements, children can indicate their level of achievement on their sheet. This could be done in various ways:
• children could be asked to tick a box to show which step on that strand they felt they had achieved or were comfortable with;
• sometimes there could be discussion between teacher and pupil(s) about the stage of achievement that the child’s work represents – or the teacher might sometimes provide a written indication having marked work. (Some of the value of the activity is lost if the sheet merely reflects teacher assessment of the children’s performance. If the children know that they are expected to come to some judgement about their work and working, I believe that the reflection they have to make enhances their learning and their focus on the main thrust of the lesson and their learning.)

I would be glad to receive feedback on the likely usefulness of this resource to other practising teachers. Please contact me if you have any comments at: g.jennings@ntlworld.com