DT
Design and technology prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. Creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas and eventually making products and systems. Through the study of design and technology they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as functions and industrial practices. This allows them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and its impacts. Design and technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.
The aims of Design and Technology teaching are:
- to develop imaginative thinking in children and to enable them to talk about what they like and dislike when designing and making;
- to enable children to talk about how things work, and to draw and model their ideas;
- to encourage children to select appropriate tools and techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures;
- to explore attitudes towards the made world and how we live and work within it;
- to develop an understanding of technological processes, products, and their manufacture, and their contribution to our society;
- to foster enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose in designing and making.
The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in design and technology lessons. The principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in design and technology. Teachers ensure that the children apply their knowledge and understanding when developing ideas, planning and making products and then evaluating them. We do this through a mixture of whole-class teaching and individual/group activities. Within lessons, we give children the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other children’s ideas and treating these with respect. Children critically evaluate existing products, their own work and that of others. They have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including ICT.
May 2024
Year one have been learning about the healthy food plate in their DT lessons. Their objective was to design and make a fruit kebab. They had to use a variety of food technology skills to achieve this. They chopped, sliced and peeled the fruit. To evaluate their product, they had to think about what they liked and disliked about it and they gave it a a star rating. The children developed life skills that they can now use at home.
May 2024
The year 4 classes have been learning about food nutrition and healthy eating. They have been finding out about Egyptian bread, what people would have eaten in Egyptian times and if people nowadays still eat that type of food.
As part of their DT work, they had to design and make ancient flatbread. They had to think about who their product was for and what changes they could make to the recipe to make it more flavoursome. As part of their evaluations, they tasted the bread and gave it a rating out of 5.
April 2024
Year 5 designed, prepared, cooked and evaluated an iron age stew as part of their history and design technology work. The children learnt about what foods were grown in that period. The children worked in teams to design their product. They were all given different seasons to research. They built on skills that they had learnt in year 3; chopping, grating, crushing and weigh ingredients to produce their product.
April 2024
Year three have been designing and making a sandwich for ‘Manfred the Baddie’. The children had to follow their design criteria and ensure they selected and used appropriate utensils to prepare and combine ingredients. The children needed to consider his likes and dislikes and what flavours would work well together. They developed their skills in a range of techniques to make their product including chopping, grating, peeling slicing and spreading. Whilst making their sandwich they need to consider health and safety; handwashing and working safely and hygienically with tools, equipment, techniques and ingredients. Whilst making their sandwich encourage children to use a range of techniques to make their product including chopping, grating, peeling slicing and spreading.
Year three also had to design and make a shell structure for ‘Manfred the Baddie’ to use to hold his sandwich in. The classes used cardboard, paper, glue and sellotape. They also used a range of skills linking other subjects to their work, for example measuring with a ruler, 3D shapes and links with literacy.
December 2023
Year 6 have been working very creatively on their electrical circuits unit in Design and Technology. They looked at a variety of games that had an electrical circuit. They worked in pairs to design a game for a certain age group. They had to think about what the children of that age would be interested in and how they could challenge those children. They thought of questions that the intended age group would have to answer and if they answered correctly, the buzzer or light on the game would turn on. Year 6 had to ensure the electrical components connected together correctly and were linked up to the correct answer. They had to understand how an electrical circuit worked and think of all the equipment they would need. Knowledge gained from their science unit helped their understanding.
Once the games were completed, the year 6 children went around the school with their product and asked the children and staff to answer the questions and play the game.
Below are some of their amazing creations.
November 2023
This term, year 2 have been designing and making a prototype ambulance for a car manufacturer. Their work linked to their History topic about Florence Nightingale. The children used recycled materials from home and, during their design process, had to choose between a moving or fixed axle. Below are photos of the year 2 designers at work and some amazing end products. Well done Year 2.
