Subject Information

Design and Technology is taught at Crackley Hall from Junior 1 to Junior 6. Within the Foundation Stage the children start developing their skills through both the Creative area of learning and through their Knowledge and Understanding of the World. The aim of teaching Design and Technology is to give the pupils the skills to think imaginatively and creatively to prepare them to participate in tomorrow’s rapidly changing technologies. They are given the opportunities to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, as individuals and members of a team. They look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing a range of ideas and making suitable products. They combine practical skills with the understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, function and industrial practices.

Educational visits are carried out where appropriate, such as visiting the MAD Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon with Junior 1 to look at how things work and the mechanisms used; this also links into STEAM.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) and is a focus of many of the Design and Technology lessons each year. There is a STEAM club for different year groups, which helps them to develop skills in a number of areas linked to these exciting subjects with a hands-on approach.

Key Stage 1

By the end of Key Stage 1 the children should be able to:

• Use a range of materials to design and make simple products.
• Select materials, tools and techniques appropriate to the task and explain their choice.
• Understand how simple structures and mechanisms work.
• Measure, assemble, join and combine materials in a variety of ways using basic tools safely.
• Investigate and evaluate simple products, commenting on their main features.
• 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.
• Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes.
• Understand where food comes from.
• Evaluate own and others' work, suggesting ways of improvement.

Key Stage 2

By the end of Key Stage 2 the children should be able to:

• Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.
• Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.
• Design and make quality products using their knowledge and understanding of a range of materials, components and techniques.
• Choose and use a range of materials and components, depending on their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.
• Use understanding and knowledge and apply these to be able to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
• Accurately measure, mark, cut, join and combine a variety of materials, working safely and recognising hazards to themselves and to others.
• Investigate and analyse a range of existing products, and know how they work, including mechanical and electrical systems.
• Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.
• Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.
• 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.
• Evaluate their own and others' work suggesting ways of improvement.