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Design & Technology

Intent

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
By the end of the EYFS the children will safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Key Stage 1 (KS1)
By the end of KS1 the children will design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria. They will have had opportunities to generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology. When making their design pupils will be able to select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks e.g. for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing. They will have had opportunities to select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics. Pupils will have been able to explore and evaluate a range of existing products and evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria. Pupils will be able to build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable explore and use mechanisms e.g. for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles, in their products. In cooking and nutrition pupils will be able to use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare simple salads and healthy snacks and understand where food comes from. Examples of products they will design, make and evaluate will include a swing, a playground, tabbed outfits, a clay flower pot, a superhero, a home, a moon buggy and an African mask.

Key Stage 2 (KS2)
By the end of KS2 the children will be able to 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. They will be able to generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design. When making pupils will be able to select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks e.g. cutting, shaping, joining and finishing, accurately. Pupils will have had opportunities to 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. Pupils will have had opportunities to investigate and analyse a range of existing products. Once made pupils will have had a chance to evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work. Opportunities will arise where pupils will understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world. Pupils will be taught to apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures as well as understand and use mechanical systems in their products e.g. gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages. Pupils will understand and use electrical systems in their products e.g. series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They will be able to apply their understanding of computing to programme, monitor and control their products. In cooking and nutrition pupils will understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques. They will understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed. Examples of products they will design, make and evaluate will include a puppet, an Iron Man structure, a clay tile and counter, Anglo-Saxon drawstring purse, Eiffel Tower, Benin African jewellery, products with an electrical circuit and a shelter.

Implementation

We deliver our DT Curriculum through a topic based curriculum primarily. The curriculum delivered is based on the National Curriculum.  Children at Roehampton Church School from Year 1 to Year 6 have two half-terms where DT is the Assessment Focus and where the main elements of the DT Curriculum are taught. Some DT teaching may occur in half-terms that do not have DT as a focus, but links well to the overall topic being delivered. In the Foundation Stage, DT is taught through the key learning points found in the ‘Exploring and Using Media and Materials’ section of the Expressive Arts and Design strand.  Each half-term, specific skills will be taught through a project which links to the topic. Opportunities to extend these skills are also presented during child led learning. Each classroom has an area, which is specifically dedicated for the children to explore DT. In Years 1-6, Teachers can choose to deliver DT on a weekly basis for the duration of the half-term, or they can block it in bigger chunks.

The detail of where all the aspects of the DT Curriculum are taught, can be seen in the table below. Each year group also has a Curriculum Map and the aspects of the DT Curriculum designated to that year group have been allocated in the two half-terms where DT will be a focus (in bold) and in other half-terms if there is a direct link to the overall topic being delivered.

Teachers will use a variety of practical learning styles to ensure that all children have access to the curriculum.  Children will get opportunities to explore a range of materials and to develop a variety of techniques.  Teachers strive to meet the needs of all individual learners in their teaching of Art and Design.  The emphasis will be on planning creative art and design lessons that do not require pupils to use formal recording methods, as well as meeting the needs of the those pupils who require additional time or support with developing their fine motor skills. Please see our SEND/Equality Statement of Intent/Implementation for more information on ways in which we seek to ensure that all pupils have opportunities to succeed across all curriculum areas.  

Impact

By the end of their time at Roehampton Church School, children will know more about Design Technology and have more Design Technology skills than when they started. They will have had opportunities to build on the skills they have learnt and used them to make products and simple food dishes. They will have had opportunities to build products from design criteria given to them, collaboratively decided or made alone and had opportunities to be reflective about the products they have made.