Design & Technology

At St. Mary’s we aim to provide children with a DT curriculum that is relevant in our ever-changing world. We ensure a broad and balanced curriculum that is fully inclusive to every child. At St. Mary’s we encourage our children to become problem solvers and work collaboratively and creatively on individual and shared projects. Where possible we like to link our work to other areas within the curriculum.  We believe that high-quality DT lessons will inspire children to think independently, innovatively and develop creative, procedural and technical understanding. Our DT curriculum provides children with opportunities to research, represent their ideas, explore, investigate and make a product and evaluate their work. Children will be exposed to a wide range of media including textiles, food and woodwork; through this, children will develop their skills, vocabulary and resilience. At times throughout the year, we come to together as a whole school to work on a project and we display this in the corridors of our school or local church for all to admire. We intend to ensure the progressive development of knowledge and skills, enabling children to learn how to take risks, become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable global citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, we intend to develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life today and in the wider world promoting our school values of community, hope, wisdom and respect.

All teaching of DT follows the design (generate ideas) make and evaluate cycle. Children design products with a purpose in mind and an intended user of the products.

Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge, skills and vocabulary all of which is built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. The design process should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to choose freely. To evaluate, children should be able to evaluate their own products against a design criteria.

EYFS Curriculum

Early Learning Goals from the EYFS Framework that link most closely to the Design and Technology National Curriculum.

Expressive Arts and Design (Exploring and Using Media and Materials)

Children safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Expressive Arts and Design (Being Imaginative) Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories

Physical Development (Moving and Handling)

Children handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.

Key Stage 1- National Curriculum

Design

Design should be rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.

Planned through appropriate formats: drawing, templates and talking.

Make:

Children should be given a range of tools for their projects.

Children should use a wide range of materials and components, textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

Evaluate existing products.

Evaluate their own products against design criteria.

Technical Knowledge

Build structures and know how they can be made more stable.

Explore mechanisms

Cooking and Nutrition

Use basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes and understand where food comes from.

Key Stage 2 National Curriculum

Design:

Rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to the learning.

Researched designs based on functional, appealing products with purpose.

Planned by appropriate methods e.g. annotated sketches

Make:

Children can select from a wider range of tools than KS1.

Children should use from and select a wider range of materials and components, textiles, construction equipment and ingredients.

Evaluate:

Evaluations should also be in comparison to existing products.

Children should evaluate against a design criteria. 

Children should understand how key events and individuals have helped shape design and technology.

Technical Knowledge

Show an understanding of how structures can be made more stable

Understand and use mechanical/electrical systems in their products and apply computing to programme, monitor and control their products.

Cooking and Nutrition

Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet. Learn about seasonality and where foods are grown, reared, caught and processed.

The impact of the teaching of design and technology is assessed in a number of ways such as books looks, interviews and discussions, display and photographic/video evidence. Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply those key skills to other areas of learning within the curriculum. The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in design technology. As designers, children will learn how to take risks, become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens, which will aid them beyond school and into adulthood.