Design and Technology
Our Intent
At King’s Ford Infant School and Nursery we encourage children to learn to think creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. Children will design and make products within a variety of contexts using a range of tools and materials. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Art. Pupils are given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology in the wider world, its uses and effectiveness and are encouraged to experiment and take risks.
Our Aims
- To develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
- To increase pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
- To critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
- To understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook/prepare food.
- To foster an enjoyment and appreciation of the subject and a greater knowledge of craftspeople and designers.
- To help children explore the world at first hand, using all their senses and experimentation, and so gain knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live.
- To teach children to express their own ideas, feelings, thoughts and experiences.
- To develop children’s design capability.
- To enhance children’s ability to value the contribution made by artists, craft workers and designers and respond critically and imaginatively to ideas, images and objects.
Curriculum Planning
The children undertake a balanced programme that takes account of abilities, aptitudes and physical, emotional and intellectual development. Through Design and Technology, the children learn a range of skills, concepts, attitudes, techniques and methods of working. Design and Technology is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum and we use the objectives from this to support planning and to assess children’s progress. Staff use the school’s curriculum plan and long term planning to ensure coverage of all areas of the National Curriculum. Medium term and weekly plans show a more detailed breakdown of specific activities as well as how tasks will be differentiated. These weekly plans list the specific learning objectives and give details of how the lessons are to be taught and linked to other subjects across the curriculum. The class teacher keeps these individual plans, which they annotate daily to provide information for observations and pupil assessments.
When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:
- design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
- generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.
- select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks such as 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.
- explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
- evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria.
- build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.
- explore and use mechanisms, such as levers, sliders, wheels and axles, in their products.
Progression
Progression grids are used to ensure pupils’ activities and experiences are built on from year group to year group. The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in Design and Technology lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in the subject. We ensure that the act of investigating and making includes exploring and developing ideas, evaluating and developing work. We do this through a mixture of direct teaching and individual/ group activities. Teachers draw attention to good examples of individual performance as models for the other children. They encourage children to evaluate their own ideas and methods, and the work of others, to say what they think and feel about them. We give children the opportunity within lessons to work on their own and collaborate with others, on projects in two and three dimensions and on different scales.
Children have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources and will develop skills that can be utilised throughout their education and beyond.
We recognise the fact that we have children of differing ability in all our classes, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies which are differentiated by task, expected outcome and/or support from peers or adults.
Website Links:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zb9d7ty
http://www.ichild.co.uk/tags/browse/68/Design-Technology-KS1
https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/subjects/dt
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=7&AgeGroup=2
https://childhood101.com/5-construction-challenges-for-kids-stem/