Design and Technology
Design Technology Curriculum overview
Design Technology Curriculum intent
Our DT curriculum aims to inspire children through a broad range of practical experiences to create innovative designs which solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Every year group will follow a cycle of designing, making and evaluating each project. They will use what they have been taught in technical knowledge and cooking and nutrition to create a product for a purpose and that is appropriate for the user. In all year groups DT is undertaken once a term for half a term, alternating with art and design. Our DT curriculum is progressive and is organised so that children apply previously taught skills in order to make the next product. This means that children actively build on their skills every time they revisit an area of DT and advance their skill set.
Our youngest learners begin DT in our school by exploring a variety of materials, tools and techniques experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. The open-endedness of our EYFS provision means that children are able to freely experiment ways in which to manipulate and join materials to create models and structures of their choice. Children have the opportunity to develop these skills daily, if they choose too, during their discovery time. Developing these skills are the foundation that supports each child on their DT journey as they move into Key Stage One.
At the end of Key Stage One children would have manipulated materials to build a strong structure that has wheels and axles. They would have made food, without a heat source, building on their knowledge of healthy eating. By the time our children leave school at the end of Key Stage Two children would have experienced a diverse DT curriculum and built up their skills to create a moving fairground ride, a sewn. Where relevant there are links to the wider curriculum, such as Year 6 learning about the Amazon rainforest so their DT project for Autumn is to design and make a Jungle Jam Jar. They use what they have learnt about the Amazon rainforest to ensure that their design is user and purpose appropriate.
Children are encouraged to build on previous skills, as they move through the years the children's scaffolding is slowly removed so they have more autonomy over the designs and creations. This means that in order for the children to have a functional product that is fit for its purpose they have had to use what they already know. This creates confident designers at Wellstead.
DT runs in line with our Learning Values at Wellstead. The children show adaptability and reflectiveness when designing their products, they actively explore and change their ideas based on what they know and what they find out. When making their products the children show respect to our equipment and each other when taking turns. Children work together collaboratively to research their products and when they provide peer feedback when evaluating their final pieces. Children develop their independence by taking ownership of their own work and developing their skills to complete a final product. Therefore, children have plenty of opportunity to let our learning values shine through during their DT learning.