Design Technology
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Our Design Technology curriculum delivers the National Curriculum for Design and Technology and aims to ensure that all pupils, through a variety of creative and practical activities, should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. As part of their work with food, pupils are taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating across a range of cuisines.
Design Technology is taught as part of the half termly topic work and the delivery demonstrates the design process for each project of research, design, make and evaluate. A range of skills will be progressively taught and ensure that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken.
As part of their work with food, pupils use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes and understand where food comes from. Work produced in Design Technology will be celebrated and displayed within the classroom and around the school.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Within the EYFS, the specific area of ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ encompasses a range of early design and technology skills and knowledge. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Design and technology reflect the three characteristics of effective teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage:
- · playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
- · active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- · creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Continuous provision, both in the indoor classroom and the Learning Garden, in the EYFS is resourced and facilitated to ensure that opportunities for early design and technology skills and knowledge are developed.
KS1
Children will have opportunities to experience enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology and will be able to demonstrate this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities out of school. It is hoped that they take the skills and attributes with them throughout their life.
Most children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology and ongoing assessments take place throughout the year to ensure that the children are supported and challenged appropriately. Any trends or gaps in attainment are addressed.