Design and Technology at Larkspur

Curriculum Intent: 

Our intent at Larkspur Primary School is to provide a rich Design and Technology curriculum across all year groups. We aim to teach a unit of Design and Technology in all year groups at least once per term. These units focus on: food technology and nutrition, electricity, mechanisms, structures and textiles. Wherever possible, cross curricular links are made to ensure children get the most out of their learning experiences.

We aim to develop children's creativity, technical and practical expertise so that they can perform everyday tasks confidently. It is important that children are given opportunities to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills so they can create high-quality prototypes and products. We hope that when children leave us they are equipped to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. 

Curriculum Implementation: 

Design and Technology is a crucial part of school life and learning. We are dedicated to the teaching and delivery of an exciting Design and Technology curriculum where children may experience things for the very first time. This subject allows opportunities for children to learn practically and apply their imagination and creatively in a purposeful way.  Children learn to take risks and how to become reflective, resilient learners whilst learning how Design Technology impacts everyday life and the wider world.

Part of implementing an effective Design and Technology curriculum is encouraging children to work collaboratively with others. Collaborative work in Design and Technology develops mutual respect for the differing opinions, abilities and beliefs of others. It also helps children to respect their environment and the health and safety of themselves and others. They learn to appreciate that their ideas and opinions may differ to others and also learn to show tolerance. Children are encouraged to work in a democratic way by listening to others and sometimes accepting the ideas of others may be more suitable than their own to create the most effective product. 

Design and Technology units of work cover the following areas over the course of the year:

• Food
• Electricity
• Structures
• Textiles
• Mechanisms.

From Early Years to the end of Key Stage 2, we aim to provide a progressive scheme of work where children will acquire new skills each year built upon those previously taught.

Early Years Foundation Stage: 

In the EYFS children are encouraged to explore and use a variety of media and materials during a combination of adult directed and child-initiated activities. Children are given opportunities to:

• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas.
• Begin to make plans and construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources.
• Use what they know about different media and materials in original ways, not being afraid to explore and try new things.
• Learn how to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely
• Identify foods that are good or not good for them and learn how to prepare some foods hygienically.

Key Stage 1:

Children should be taught through creative and practical activities the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the designing and making process. They should work in a range of relevant contexts that inspire and interest them.

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design:

• Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and others based on design criteria.
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.

Make:

• Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks, (or example, cutting shaping, joining and finishing).
• Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics.

Evaluate:

• Explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
• Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.

Technical Knowledge:

• Builds structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer, and more stable.
• Explore and use mechanisms, (for example levers, sliders, wheels and axles), in their products.

KS1 – Food and Nutrition:

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and later in life.

Children should be taught to:

• Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.
• Understand where food comes from.

Key Stage 2:

Within KS2, key events and individuals that have influenced the world of Design and Technology are teaching focuses that are to be covered. Introducing and using computer programmes and applications are also a key focus to be utilised by children in their design of their products.

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process and designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts.

When designing and making, pupils should be 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 and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided system.

Make

• Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks, such as cutting, shaping, joining and finishing, accurately.
• Select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

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, (for example gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages).
• Understand and use electrical systems in their products, (for example series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors).
• To apply their understanding of computing to programme, monitor and control their products.

KS2 – Food and Nutrition:

Pupils should be taught to:

• Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.
• Prepare and cook a variety of predominately savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
• To understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
•  

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British Values

Collaborative work in design and technology develops mutual respect for the differing opinions, beliefs and abilities of others. In addition, children develop a respect for the environment, for their own health and safety and that of others. They learn to appreciate the value of similarities and differences and learn to show tolerance. A variety of experiences teaches them to appreciate that all people – and their views – are equally important. Children are encouraged to work in a democratic way, exercising the ‘give and take’ required for successful teamwork.

At Larkspur our Design and Technology curriculum aims to develop pupils creativity and imagination by providing activities and projects that give opportunities to design, make and evaluate products that solve real problems within a variety of contexts.  Our pupils are given opportunities to develop a broad subject knowledge that explores mathematics, engineering, computing, science and art.

Our teachers plan design and technology sessions that develop creative, technical and practical skills, building on their existing knowledge and understanding.  Pupils are given opportunities to evaluate their own and one another's ideas and products.  Our long term skills progression grid, structures and supports our pupils' individual development and progress in the subject.