Design and Technology

At St Lukes, Design and Technology lesson ideas and outcomes are closely linked, where possible, to our wider curriculum. This enables all pupils to deepen their understanding of other subjects through art, but also develop the following skills:

• 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.

Key Stage 1 pupils are taught to:

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.

Key Stage 2 pupils are taught to:

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
• 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.

Our curriculum map has been designed to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum, to ensure learning is sequential throughout EYFS - Year 6 and to ensure the skills learnt are progressive and build upon prior knowledge throughout each year group. 

Children have opportunity to develop their skills within the following design forms, across different scales, independently and collaboratively:

• Sketchbook work
• Designing and Researching 
• Explore and Evaluate 
• Build structures 
• Investigate  
• Explore mechanisms 
• Digital media and animation

Each session builds upon prior learning ensuring that there are opportunities for children to revisit previous learning, thus facilitating children to know and remember more. Children will be encouraged to use and apply the skills and techniques taught previously in their upcoming sessions. Each year group will also revisit the key knowledge and skills from their previous year groups to ensure that they retain the information and address any gaps.

After each lesson teachers assess children's knowledge and understanding through a range of questions that enable children to reflect and evaluate on their learning. This gives children opportunities to evaluate and improve their work through teacher guidance.

Have a look on Twitter at the fantastic Design and Technology work going on at St Luke's: #Stlukesburywidercurriculum