Design and Technology

Aims

At Parsonage Farm, Design and Technology plays a vital part in our curriculum across all year groups. It is a practical, exciting and engaging area of learning. We believe that Design and Technology encourages children to think creatively to solve problems both individually and as part of a team. It motivates children to be active learners and to address challenges when they occur.

In each year group, children are given opportunities to design, make and evaluate products, which link with their current topic. They are encouraged to use their imagination and creativity to design and make products within a variety of contexts. Children are also given the opportunity to explore, design, make and evaluate different foods.  

Progression of Skills

Our DT curriculum is planned so that there is a clear progression of skills from Nursery to Year 2. In each year group we design projects according to their skills, ensuring we are supporting them and extending their learning.  

Click the attachment below for the progression table

Teaching and Learning

Our DT activities are based around the EYFS Framework (in Nursery and Reception) and the National Curriculum for KS1 (in Years 1 and 2). The DT curriculum combines skills, knowledge and concepts to enable children to tackle real life problems, these are built on every year.

The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts [for example, the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment].

When designing and making, pupils should be 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