DT

Intent

Design and Technology gives children the opportunity to design and make products with a clear purpose. It encourages learners to be creative and use their imagination. Each unit throughout the school starts with a key question and children are encouraged to come up with a solution, daring upon designing and making skills.

From the very start of school, children are encouraged to make products with a purpose. Skills progress as children move through the school. They will often revisit a skill and build upon it e.g. children will sew with simple stiches in year 2 and then sew again in year 5 with a greater range of stitching.

Through DT, children are able to draw upon skills learnt in other subjects to support their learning. For example using art skills to design, computing skills to research and maths skills to measure. Children will experience a range of topics including cooking, textiles, mechanics, construction and structures.

There are four process that the children will work through when designing and making products:

When designing and making, the children are taught to:

Design:

Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups.
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.

Make:

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing, as well as chopping and slicing) accurately
Select from and use a wider range of materials, ingredients and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties, aesthetic qualities and, where appropriate, taste

Evaluate:

Investigate and analyse a range of existing products
Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world

Technical knowledge:

Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
Understand and use mechanical systems in their products
Understand and use electrical systems in their products
Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
Understand some of the ways that food can be processed and the effect of different cooking practices (including baking and grilling)

Key skills and key knowledge for DT have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups. The context for the children’s work in Design and Technology is also well considered and children learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples, as well as developing their skills throughout the programme of study. Our Design and technology curriculum offers the flexibility to provide the opportunity for cross curricular links where necessary.

Cooking

Children will take part in cooking activities. At Pinner Wood we are fortunate enough to have a cooking room. Children will experience designing, making and evaluating food products. Through this work, we will teach children the importance of a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet.

We have a resident chef, who prepares our delicious and nutritious school lunch. She will lead assemblies and take cooking groups across the school.