Intent

Our Design and Technology (DT) curriculum aims to inspire students to think about the important and integral role which design, and the creation of designed products play in our society. Everything we use, from the interior of the bus to the office chair, the lemon squeezer, potato peeler, car door or latest fashion has been designed. Design is also central to the clever solutions we need to address the global problems we face, such as windfarms, solar panels, electric cars, micro farms, energy saving lightbulbs, sustainable fashion – the list is endless.  

Implementation

In Nursery, children learn to create using lots of different materials. They explore by joining a variety of materials together to make models of vehicles, use malleable materials such as clay or playdough and are encouraged in their play to develop their designing as they create homes for animals using blocks and small world resources. 

In Reception, children are provided with opportunities to work together to develop and realise creative ideas. They are provided with a range of materials for children to construct with. They are encouraged to think about and discuss what they want to make. Independence is promoted to explore different ways of joining materials, of varied textures using glue and tape. Materials and tools are introduced and the children are encouraged to use them with care and precision to explore form and function.

From Year 1 onwards, our DT curriculum is divided into three different strands:

• Cook
• Sew
• Build

As the years progress, children are able to build upon skills learnt and will be able to develop more complex ideas for designs and products, learning how to evaluate well for their intended use.

In ‘cook’ pupils will learn to cook from recipes which gradually build basic culinary skills. Whilst studying these practical skills they learn about concepts relating to food such as nutrition, seasonality, food production, transportation, and food from different cultures. We benefit from the Mustard Seed Kitchen, a wonderful teaching space. 

In ‘sew’ pupils practise using fabric and thread to learn basic sewing techniques to create objects which demonstrate embroidery, appliqué, weaving and plaiting. Concepts such as the properties and creation of different fabrics, fast fashion, industrialisation, waste, recycling, and pollution are interwoven into these activities. 

In ‘build’ students learn about the creation of structures and mechanical and electrical devices to create products such as cars, moving cards, toys, and books. Through this they learn about concepts such as force, motion, and the properties of materials. 

Two different ‘aspects’ of design are interwoven into the three strands: the environment and sustainability, and enterprise and innovation. These ‘aspects’ acknowledge enduring and contemporary concerns of modern design.

Impact

The DT curriculum is sequenced to enable the students to become familiar with, understand and practise the process of design through:  

• Research and investigation
• Design
• Making
• Using and evaluation

The planning for each unit of work specifies the product the children will make, the purpose and user of the product. The students’ understanding of key skills and concepts builds from year to year, assessing and cementing prior learning.