Design and Technology at St Elisabeth’s CE Primary School

 

Context

 

Design Technology is behind every product ever invented. From structures and machinery that help the world to evolve efficiently, to the production and uses of textiles within the world and the purposeful growth and creation of food. Teaching children about this ever-evolving industry allows them to appreciate and understand design that has stood the test of time. It teaches them how we evolve to survive in an economic world and equips them with the skills to feed themselves and be innovative within production.

 

St Elisabeth's CE Primary  is located in the top 25% of deprived areas in England  This curriculum has been designed to offer our children the practical experiences they need to care for themselves in a safe and supportive way. It teaches them knowledge of food and the life skills required to cook and care for themselves. It draws upon our industrial past and instils the basic ability to sew and create useful and decorative products. It inspires them to discover a world of inventions through first-hand experiences and to learn the basic skills that can be applied to any invention that will allow them to aspire and achieve.

Intent
 

Design and Technology is at the forefront of our ever-evolving world. The skills taught through the four strands of Design Technology enable the pupils at St Elisabeth's CE Primary to become innovative risk-takers with skills in structures, mechanisms, textiles and food that will assist them for life as an individual and as part of a team. This subject provides the pupils with the knowledge of industry and how products have stood the test of time. It then allows them to evaluate, create and problem-solve products for future use. This curriculum encourages pupils to look at products and to consider and understand the needs and wants of the desired audience and the value of products during their design stages. The pupils will evaluate the products for their sustainability and longevity, creating products to inspire the future development in Design Technology.

Purpose of Study

The Design Technology curriculum is taught through three strands of structures and mechanisms, textiles and nutrition. At each level it provides the children with a secure knowledge of product design, production and evaluation. Broad links with science, computing, mathematics, history, art and P.E. facilitate the Design Technology curriculum in ensuring children have the knowledge and skills required to survive and succeed in an ever-changing world. Structure and mechanisms enables children to take historical product design to a new level. Through innovative design children can learn basic mechanics that show how products work efficiently and can evolve to become something useful in a modern world. Textiles gives children the ability to be self-sufficient and creative. Learning about textiles and the many practical uses it has, the skills development in this unit allows pupils to be expressive and create items that are multi-purpose and that are sustainable for the future. Nutrition provides children with knowledge of food, its production and health benefits. The unit initially supports children in the safe practice of preparing food and develops them into competent self-sufficient cooks. The nutrition unit provides them with knowledge of food, basic store-cupboard recipes to create a multitude of dishes and the ability to meal plan and substitute ingredients according to the season and availability.

National Curriculum Aims

The National Curriculum for Design Technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

We provide a range of structured and differentiated activities which develop breadth and progression. These are related to the interest and everyday experiences of our children. We do this by allowing children to investigate simple products by research, disassembly and evaluation. This develops their knowledge and enables us to teach appropriate skills in order for the children to make and design successful products. Designing and creating through making high quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. Our curriculum prides itself on providing adequate time, access to information, skills and resources to make good quality products. Providing time to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others is essential. Motivating pupils by providing interesting and stimulating experiences provides the inspiration to create.  Allowing children to use design and technology to solve a range of problems and in conducting research to establish ideas for a specific audience provides them with necessary hands-on experience. Helping children to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and to learn how to cook gives them a skill base that keeps them safe buts gives them independence.  

National Curriculum Subject Content

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts [for example, the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment].

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

In Key Stage 1

Design

• 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

Make

• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for 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

• build 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.

In Key Stage 2

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 design

Make

• select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, 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]
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Cooking 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 in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

Key stage 1

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

Key stage 2

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

Implementation
 

Key skills and key knowledge for Design and Technology have been mapped across the school to ensure progression between year groups. This also ensures that there is a context for the children’s work in Design and Technology; that they learn about real life structures and the purpose of specific examples, as well as developing their skills throughout the units of work. Design and technology lessons are also taught as a block so that children’s learning is focused throughout each unit of work. The structure of each unit follows a cycle.

Lesson 1

Evaluation of a product. Includes the history or longevity of the product where appropriate.      Research stages of the product, how has it evolved? What already exists? Target audience.

Lesson 2

Teach the new skill.

Lesson 3

Design own product.

Lesson 4

Begin to make product

Lesson 5

Refine and Improve. Teach additional skill.

Lesson 6

Test and Evaluate

Impact

This curriculum ensure the children develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. Each year they build on and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. They develop the ability to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
The children understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook. Children will design and make a range of savory products with a good quality finish will be expected in all food designs. The activities are made appropriate to the age and ability of the child with a clear emphasis on health and safety when preparing and handling food.

Children will learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation but most importantly to the children of St Elisabeth's CE Primary.

Rationale

Design and Technology involves applying knowledge and skills when designing and making products, whether that’s within food, textiles or structures and mechanisms. The children at St Elisabeth's CE Primary are supported to become independent innovative learners. The activities undertaken will enable our children to consider the needs of specific individuals and products that could revolutionise in the wider world.

Undertaking design and technology activities in school will give our children opportunities to use a range of materials and processes and to work independently or as part of a team. The activities undertaken here in St Elisabeth's CE Primary will also reflect the children's local environment and support them in the wider community.

'Pupils should be taught to develop their design and technology capability through combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make products'