Design & Technology

Design Technology subject coordinator – Miss Nagra

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Intent

At Moat Farm Infant School, we intend to build a Design and Technology curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. We intend to design a curriculum with appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum Design Technology Programmes of study, to provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.

The concepts we aim to cover are

Learning about the designed and made world and how things work
Design inspiration from a range of designers
Design skills for a range of purposeful, functional products
Making functional products for particular purposes and uses
Knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms and control systems
Understanding how to evaluate and improve the quality of the product to maintain a high quality
Health and safety

These concepts are all derived from the National Curriculum key objectives that are

Products are to be made for a purpose.
Individuality should be ensured in children’s design and construction of products.
Delivery of the two strands: Designing and Making and Cooking and Nutrition.
Teaching the importance of making on-going changes and improvements during making stages.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught half termly and follows the five stage design process. This can be thought of as a series of stages – the perceived need for a product, the design stage, the use of practical skills to work safely with equipment and materials in producing a product, testing your product and the evaluation of the finished article. Each year group will undertake a construction topic, a textile topic and a food/drink topic. Design Technology lessons begin with a quick activity which acts as a recap for prior knowledge, this can be spaced or retrieval practise. This activity might take the form of quick quizzes, vocabulary flashcards or any other short activity which promotes information recall. Teachers ask questions which retrieve information from pupils and allows them to provide in depth responses to deepen their understanding. To support learning teachers provide clear models to demonstrate concepts to pupils and use thinking aloud strategies to support all learners.

In our school children are taught a range of skills to ensure they are aware of the health and safety issues relating to their designs. We offer clear cross curricular links across the curriculum giving children the opportunity to learn life skills and connecting British Values by exploring how issues affect our lives and how this helps inform decisions. Children can work independently by solving problems and take ownership in their learning or collaboratively whereby they may be asked to work as a team to support to each other to work towards a goal. Working walls are displayed in classrooms which allows children to consistently see good examples and the vocabulary needed to articulate their opinions in Design Technology. Teachers refer to the working walls when modelling concepts or solving design problems which is a crucial strategy for enabling pupils to become independent. Children’s work is celebrated by putting it on display around school. We hold parent workshops annually for year 1 and year 2 so children can work together with their parent to make and test their designs.

In Early Years Foundation Stage children explore and use a variety of media and materials through child initiated and adult led activities. They have the opportunity to use junk modelling to decide how to join materials together, use simple tools safely, select their resources and discuss what went well. As children go into Key Stage 1, they will learn the basic construction skills, join materials using staples, begin to sew a product, learn about different foods and how to be safe and hygienic.

Impact

Design and Technology is taught so children have a clear passion and enjoyment in this subject, and they will then apply this across the curriculum. Projects promote working together, building resilience and critical thinking to develop life skills for children to take with them in the future. At Moat Farm Infant School, we ensure our curriculum is monitored regularly and reflective upon to ensure we are providing a broad and balanced learning environment for our children.

Useful websites:

EYFS

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/mister-maker

https://www.bbc.co.uk/games/embed/gqgw1yg9x7?exitGameUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fcbeebies%2Fgames%2Fcharlie-and-lola-making-and-doing

Building

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/games/nina-get-building

Jigsaw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/puzzles/peter-rabbit-jigsaw?collection=cbeebies-jigsaw-puzzles

Year 1

Designing

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/cbeebies-house-lily-bobtail-mask

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/moon-mobile-make-your-own?collection=cbeebies-house-makes