Design Technology

Subject Leader: Miss Mounsey

At Our Lady & St Gerard's, we believe that design and technology such be an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, our pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

Design and Technology is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum.

Key Areas of Learning

Design: Children develop their understanding of how research and design contribute to innovative, functional products through discussion and annotated sketches

Make: Children are encouraged to select and use a wide range of tools, materials, textiles and ingredients for cutting, shaping, joining and finishing.

Evaluate: Children investigate and analyse their own and existing products against a set criteria.

Technical knowledge: Children develop their understanding of structural design, mechanical systems, electrical systems and computer programming to monitor and control their products.

Cooking & Nutrition: Children are taught to 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 begin to understand seasonality and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

In KS1 we explore:

simple mechanisms (sliders & levers; wheels & axles)
structures
textiles
food technology

In KS2 we explore:

mechanical systems (levers & linkages; pulleys & gears)
structures
electrical systems
textiles (2-D & 3-D products)
food technology
how key events and individuals in D&T have helped shape our world.

Our creative and imaginative staff plan projects which are both relevant and engaging to the children linking them, where possible, to current topics.

Early Years

When planning D&T projects in the Early Years we follow the objectives as set out in specific strands of the Early Learning Goals (PSED, Expressive Arts and Design and Understanding the World). We provide a range of experiences that encourage exploration, observation, problem solving, critical thinking and discussion. These early experiences include asking questions about how things work; investigating and using a variety of construction kits, materials and tools; developing ‘making’ skills and handling appropriate tools and materials safely and with increasing control. This learning forms the foundation for later work in Design &Technology.

In the Early Years we explore:

Constructing: junk materials, Lego, stickle bricks, train tracks, wooden block, bricks, mobile, craft sticks etc.
Cutting and Joining: scissors, hole punches, staplers, tape, split pins, string, ribbon, threading. straws etc.
Media: paper, card, cardboard boxes, crayons, paint, felt pens etc.
Textiles: felt, wool, ribbon etc.
Embellishments: sequins, glitter, buttons, pompoms, woo, ribbon, feathers etc.
Outdoors: planks of wood, tyres, crates, bricks etc.
Food Technology: An indoor kitchen role-play area provides opportunities for sharing, socialising, pretending, organising. The outdoor mud-kitchen provides opportunities for developing baking and cooking techniques such mixing, blending, combining, pouring. Real life experiences include children taking turns to apply these techniques while baking no bake cakes and cookies or cutting fruit whilst making fruit kebabs.