DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Through Design and Technology lessons at Elm Wood we aim to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others.
In the Early Years, children are taught the knowledge and skills that they need to secure in order to meet the expressive arts and design early learning goal through our topic-based approach and bespoke planning. Through our chosen Kapow scheme of work for years 1-6, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements. Our choice of scheme, which we have adapted for Elm Wood, ensures that all children progress through a clearly sequenced progression in learning to meet the National Curriculum expectations for design and technology. For years 1-6 the National Curriculum requirements are met for design and technology through teaching three discrete design technology units per year. The alternate half-termly with art.
The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality.
The National curriculum organises the design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings: Design, Make, Evaluate, and Technical knowledge. Our design and technology curriculum has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group.
Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and we have made this one of our six key areas that pupils revisit throughout their time at Elm Wood:
● Cooking and nutrition
● Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems
● Structures
● Textiles
● Electrical systems (KS2 only)
● Digital world (KS2 only)
In design and technology lessons children respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. The curriculum is planned as a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning.
The lessons and activities children access are linked to real-life contexts including the home, leisure culture and enterprise to give meaning to children’s learning. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, children build up their knowledge and understanding of the iterative design process and are taught to work safely and hygienically.