Clowne Infant & Nursery School
‘We take our children on a journey of discovery, giving them aspirations and engaging them in lifelong learning’
Welcome
Design & Technology
Design and Technology
‘’Knowing is NOT the most important thing. To be able to FIND OUT is more important than knowing.’’
Sugata Mitra
Intent: What are we trying to achieve?
Design technology provides pupils with the opportunity to develop specific technical skills and knowledge, whilst encouraging problem solving, reasoning, collaborative working, physical development, mathematical and communication and language skills. We believe that high quality design technology encourages children to explore real life products, to find out for themselves and draw conclusions through experience. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing. To be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others and know that it is always ok to try a different approach.
Implementation: How will we achieve this?
We have high aspirations for all children, including those with SEND and make use of adult support or specific equipment as needed to ensure all children achieve.
The teaching of design technology at Clowne Infant and Nursery School is based upon the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Development Matters 2020 and the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1. To ensure a clear structure for the teaching of design technology across school, we use a scheme of work produced by Kapow - ‘Design Technology and Art and Design – (revised) -combined.’ The scheme sets out a curriculum map, where by art and design and design technology are alternated each term, whilst still ensuring children are provided with everything they need, in a progressive structure, to meet the end of key stage expectations. The National Curriculum organises the design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings: Design, Make, Evaluate, and Technical knowledge. Kapow have taken these as primary strands. These strands run throughout the key areas of learning of cooking and nutrition, structures, mechanisms and textiles. A clear progression of knowledge and skills showing the primary strands and the key areas of learning is in place to support teaching and learning.
Units of work outline a progression of lessons which follow the design process (design, make and evaluate) and have a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. By following the Kapow Primary scheme of work, we offer a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning. We make use of knowledge organisers for each unit of work to support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary. In addition to adult led teaching activities, children in the EYFS have access to art and design as part of their continuous or enhanced provision. In this provision teachers and TA’s work with pupils on child initiated activities; modelling vocabulary, encouraging use of knowledge and further developing technical skills.
Teachers and teaching assistants continually monitor the progress of pupils. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives and each unit of work has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which is used with pupils both at the beginning and end of the unit.
Impact: What difference will this make?
Through delivering our design technology curriculum we will ensure that pupils:
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
- Understand and are confident to use the plan, make and review process.
- Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
- Gain and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
- Understand the principles of healthy eating.
- Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations for design technology.
Take a look what's happening in Design Technology in our school...
2024-2025
Term two saw Reception and Year Two pupils complete their first Design and Technology units of the year. Reception pupils developed their use of scissors and learnt all about the junk modelling area. They were introduced to the process of making a plan before we begin and the understanding that plans often change, whilst learning through trial and error. The children loved spending time in the junk modelling area and it is firmly becoming an activity of choice for many pupils. Year Two pupils completed a unit on structures entitled ‘baby bears chair’, where they looked at the strength and properties of different shapes. Look at so,e of our exciting work in the pictures below.
2023-2024
In our Design and Technology lessons of the final term, Year Two pupils made a moving monster! They looked at some toys and objects like a hole punch, tin opener, pencil, chair and ruler and grouped them into those that were mechanical and those that were non-mechanical. Next they made the linkages for their monster, which could open and close - this required lots of concentration and perseverance. Finally the pupils designed and made their moving monsters and they were absolutely fantastic!
Term five was thoroughly enjoyed by our Year One pupils, who got to design, create and drink their own fruit smoothie. They learnt to handle and explore fruits and vegetables safely, how to identify fruit and took part in a taste test to decide upon the all important ingredients for their smoothie. Our Reception pupils found out all about the terms ‘waterproof’, ‘floating’ and ‘sinking’ as they took part in investigations with different materials. They then used what they had found out to design and make their own boat which must float.
During term four, our year two pupils took on the highly anticipated ‘Ferris Wheels’ project, during which they had to design, make, test and evaluate their own ferris wheel. The design brief was to have a wheel that would turn on an axel, support itself and be stable. As the project progressed, some of the pupils even challenged themselves further to add another design criteria - to create a pod that would actually carry a Lego person around the wheel safely without them falling out! Pupils have readily used key vocabulary such as stable, strong, structure, axel and wheel as they worked and have demonstrated resilience, pride, concentration and enjoyment throughout the whole project.
As part of world book day, pupils from nursery to year two were challenged to design and make their own book character wooden spoon at home with their grown ups. These spoons were then brought back into school, where pupils enjoyed viewing them, spotting their favourite characters and finally voting for their favourite from each class. Take a look at our termly photos below.
Throughout term three children in the EYFS continued to develop their design technology skills through exploration and targeted adult support in the continuous provision whilst playing in areas such as the builders yard and the junk modelling station. Children in Reception also spent some focused time exploring textiles with a focus upon threading and weaving - they even designed and made their own bookmarks by sewing! Year One pupils also focused upon DT, embarking upon a topic entitled 'puppets'. They explored different ways of joining fabrics including gluing, pinning and stapling, before designing, creating and evaluating their own hand puppets. I think you'll agree from the pictures below that they did a fantastic job!
The second term this year saw children in the EYFS explore design and technology as part of their play in the continuous provision. Reception children also spent time focusing upon structures in the junk modelling area, developing scissor skills, exploring, designing, making and talking about their creations whilst using a variety of materials and joining techniques. In KS1, our design and technology unit was completed by Year 2, where they focused upon structures in a unit entitled ‘baby bears chair’. Pupils were tasked to design and make a new chair for baby bear - considering his needs and likes, whilst also finding out strength of shape and stability. Take a look at some of our work in Reception and Year 2 below.
Throughout the first term this year, children in the EYFS have accessed exploratory DT within the continuous provision in the form of construction areas, investigation areas and junk modelling. Year 2 children have completed their first art and design unit, whilst our Year 1 children have completed their first design and technology unit entitled ‘windmills’. They followed the design, make, test and evaluate process. Look at some of their work below…..
