Design and Technology

Purpose of study 

• Design and Technology (DT) is about providing children with the opportunity to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs.
• High quality D&T helps children to become creative problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team
• DT should assist children in developing a greater awareness and understanding of how everyday products are designed and made

Aims

When children leave Norton St Nicholas they will have:

• developed the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and be able to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• built and applied a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critiqued, evaluated and tested their ideas and products and the work of others
• understood and applied the principles of nutrition, learnt how to use a range of kitchen tools safely and used ingredients to make dishes fulfilling a design criteria

What we teach

• Across all year groups children design and make ‘Something for Somebody for Some Purpose’.  For each unit of work we follow the ‘Design, Make, Evaluate’ approach to the teaching of DT, as outlined in the National Curriculum Programmes of Study document.
• We feel that the teaching of Food and Nutrition is a great importance and holds great relevance in current times.
• Additionally, either a Construction unit, Mechanisms or Textiles unit be taught. This ensures that the technical skills are covered with greater depth.

Early Years

Year 1

Toy vehicles

• Exploring toys that have wheels and axles.
• Making moving wheels.
• Designing and making a moving vehicle for a younger child.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

 Healthy pizzas

• Exploring balanced diets.
• Using utensils to cut vegetables.
• Designing and making a healthy pizza.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Year 2

 Freestanding structures

• Exploring what freestanding structures are.
• Exploring different ways of joining paper.
• Designing and making play park equipment.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Fruit kebabs

• Exploring healthy and balanced diets.
• Using utensils to cut fruits.
• Exploring fruits they enjoy eating.
• Designing and making a fruit kebab.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Year 3

 Shell structures

• Explore shell structures and what they are used for.
• Exploring how to strengthen shell structures.
• Designing and making a shell structure for a gift box.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Sandwiches

• Exploring how sandwiches form part of a healthy and balanced diet.
• Exploring sandwiches they enjoy eating.
• Using different utensils for ingredient preparation.
• Designing and making a healthy sandwich.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Year 4

 Textile Christmas decoration

• Exploring how Christmas decorations are often made from textiles.
• Developing sewing skills.
• Designing and making a textile Christmas decoration.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Dips and dippers

• Exploring how dips and dippers form part of a healthy and balanced diet.
• Exploring dips and dippers they enjoy eating.
• Using different utensils for ingredient preparation.
• Designing and making dips and dippers.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Year 5

 Cam mechanisms

• Exploring what cams are and how they work.
• Exploring toys that use cams.
• Developing skills with a range of tools required to make a cam mechanism.
• Designing and making a cam mechanism for a target audience.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Biscuits

• Exploring how biscuits can form part of a healthy and balanced diet.
• Exploring biscuits they enjoy eating.
• Designing and making biscuits for a target audience.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

Year 6

 Motorised vehicles

• Exploring how pulleys and motors help things to move.
• Exploring how different designs can change the speed of a vehicle.
• Developing skills with a range of tools to make a motorised vehicle safely.
• Designing and making a motorised vehicle for a target audience.
• Evaluating the success of the design.

 Bread

• Exploring where bread fits within a healthy and balanced diet.
• Exploring bread products they enjoy eating.
• Designing and making bread products for a target audience.
• Evaluating the success of the design.