Design & Technology

At Anston Park infant School we love to plan, design and create things that we can use! The world is changing rapidly and design and technology prepares children to embrace changes that will occur in their future lives. Design and technology involves the creation of everything from cakes to cars, furniture and buildings and for children who embrace the subject it can lead to careers such as architect, graphic designer, food technician, mechanic, carpenter and software engineer.

Intent

Our teaching allows children to gain knowledge about basic materials and equipment and emphasis is placed on using tools safely and correctly. Our aim is to develop practical skills in order that children can produce effective constructions based on sound design. They can then use their technical knowledge to say how and why their product works and make suggestions as to how it could be further improved. The subject encourages creativity and through careful planning and evaluation, children learn to be problem solvers and good communicators, both individually and as part of a team.

Implementation

Our teaching implements the National Curriculum for Design and Technology which is comprised of 5 main parts: Design, Make, Evaluate, Technical Knowledge and Cooking and Nutrition. In EYFS the subject is taught through the strands of Being Imaginative and Exploring and Using Media and Materials. Children develop their knowledge and skills as they go through school and are faced with increasingly challenging projects, which allow them to think through problems and embed their learning.

Design teaches children to communicate ideas through talking and drawing and how to identify the materials and tools they might need. They then progress to write about their work using labels and diagrams and are taught to say how their product will work and why it is suitable for the user. They will begin to use design criteria to help develop their ideas. Key words include material, tools, diagram, product, effective and purposeful.

Make involves teaching children to use basic tools safely, to begin to join materials and to build with simple construction kits. They then progress to measure the required length needed before cutting to cut down on waste, select and use a range of tools and choose the most effective way of joining materials. Children are encouraged to talk about their work whilst in progress and suggest simple changes where appropriate. Key words include split pin, glue gun, measure, assemble, sturdy and stable.

Evaluate teaches children to talk about the things they have made and identify things they like and dislike about the finished model. They then progress to learn how to make changes as they work through their project and to evaluate their work against the design criteria. Children are given the confidence to suggest simple changes to improve their product next time and to add a range of suitable finishing touches. Key words include product, criteria, change, alter, adjust and evaluate.

Technical Knowledge teaches children how to make structures stronger, stiffer and more stable and how to use mechanisms such as levers, sliders, wheels and axles in their products. Key words include strengthen, stiffen and reinforce and design criteria.

Cooking and Nutrition allows children to try a range of healthy foods and understand why they need to eat a healthy and varied diet. They will progress to understand how food is made up of carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals and use these basic principles to have hands on experience of preparing dishes. Children will also begin to understand where their food comes from.  Key vocabulary includes diet, varied, balanced, chop, slice, peel and measure.

Impact

After the implementation of this curriculum, children will be able to design and make functional and purposeful products. They will have learnt how to select and use appropriate tools and materials and evaluate their ideas against design criteria, developing team work and communication skills along the way. Children will be able to apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating and begin to learn the lifelong skill of preparing simple meals. Crucially, children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology and will have developed skills which can be applied to other areas of the curriculum.