Design Technology
Design and Technology gives children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. At DPA, we believe it is essential to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the world in which we all work and live.
Design and Technology education involves two important elements - learning about the designed and made world and how things work, and learning to design and make functional products for particular purposes and users.
From early years through to Year 6, children acquire and apply their knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms and control systems, structures, existing products, quality and health and safety.
We value Design and Technology as an important part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. DT provides children with the opportunity to develop and extend their skills and knowledge, and an opportunity to express their individual interests, thoughts and ideas.
The skills and knowledge that the children will learn throughout each DT topic are mapped across each year group, beginning in Early Years, and are progressive throughout the school.
Intent
Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Design and Technology encourages children to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At DPA, we encourage children to use their creativity to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and it effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk takers.
Implementation
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision: ambitious for all. We teach the National Curriuclum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year on year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. All teaching of DT should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle. Each stage should be rooted in technical knowledge. 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 select from. When evaluating, children will be evaluating their products against the given design criteria. DT is usually taught is short blocks of time.
| Year group | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
| Nursery | construction kits - wheel and axles Bread making | puppet characters Seasonal food | creating a toy for a purpose | map making | sun hats | creating vehicles |
| Reception | Building structures | wheels and axles puppet making | following recipes | sources of food | ||
| Year 1 | Chop, slice and mash Food and food sources Understanding of hygiene Design a sandwich. | Taxi Parts of a vehicle revision. Fixing wheels to a chassis. Following criteria. | Shade and shelter Purpose of shelters and materials | |||
| Year 2 | Remarkable recipes Origins of food Tool use Evaluation | Cut stitch and join Cath Kidston. Function and purpose. Sewing skills | Push and pull Levers, linkages and sliders.
| Strengthening and joining materials Box frames.
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| Year 3 | Food groups. Cooking methods | revision of levers, sliders, linkages, wheels and axles. Introduced to cam mechanisms. Make a product fitting specific criteria. | Solid and robust structures creating a mini greenhouse.
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| Year 4 | Preserving food Food packaging Keeping food fresh
| Fabrics to create products. William Morris. Exploring functionality and decoration | Revisit mechanisms. Learn how simple machines are used in combination to create compound machines | |||
| Year 5 | Pneumatic systems. Design and make a machine prototype. | Architectural styles and technology. Use CAD to design to a brief. | Explore seasonal foods. Plan according to a brief. | |||
| Year 6 | Fabric, function, features and fastenings for repurposing garments. Stitching techniques. | Role of an engineer and explore famous structures. Study form and function of significant bridges. | Processed foods and labelling. Whole and organic foods.
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Updated October 2023