Design and Technology

Intent

At Co-op Academy Nightingale we are covering the full National Curriculum in Design and Technology. We study Design and Technology through 4 main concepts:

Everyday products – our pupils will make observations and explain the purpose of everyday products in the early years, and then go on to improving existing items in key stage 1 by exploring and using mechanisms. Throughout key stage 2, our pupils will study the cultural influence on everyday products around the world and use and understanding electrical systems in products.
Generation of ideas – our pupils will have the opportunity to design and make a range of products based on design criteria. They will create annotated sketches when designing items as well as using computer-aided design packages when designing their products.

Investigation and Evaluation – our pupils will evaluate the effectiveness of existing products as well as their own creations. They will evaluate their products against their original design and discuss any changes made and why. In early years they will also develop their understanding of a healthy diet and how to follow recipes. In key stage 1 the pupils will begin to understand where food comes from and in key stage 2, the pupils will study seasonality of food and prepare and cook a variety of foods ensuring safety is at the forefront.

Materials for purpose – our pupils will explore, investigate and use a wide range of materials and tools to create products based on their design. All pupils will study the properties of materials and evaluate their effectiveness against the design criteria.

Design and Technology is effectively planned and sequenced to maximise children’s knowledge and skills to embed in their long term memory. We will teach children powerful, culturally rich knowledge in a way that ensures they are most likely to remember and apply these skills to the circumstances of their lives. The design and technology curriculum is successfully adapted to meet the needs of all children by ensuring practical, immersive and hands on teaching that promotes independence and fluency.

Implementation

We deliver our design and technology curriculum through projects and the online software ‘Curriculum Maestro’ from Cornerstones to support our sequential planning and teacher subject knowledge.

Design and technology is taught through projects from Reception – Year 6 in our school. Through the projects, the curriculum for History, Geography, Art & Design, Design & Technology and Music are delivered to all pupils. Projects can range to a half term in length (6 weeks) to 8-9 weeks depending on the amount of knowledge that must be covered and consolidated before moving onto the next. Every project has a driver subject that will remain the constant focus throughout. In Reception the pupils will study and explore the use of everyday products and begin to talk about what makes them well designed for their purpose. They will also begin to plan what they are going to make and talk about what they are about to do and why. They will begin to talk about if something that they have made was successful and explain why, as well as using a range of materials and tools, including bricks and clay, to develop their understanding of materials for purpose. In key stage 1, the children will develop their knowledge when using mechanisms such as axles to their products that include wheels. The pupils will also develop their knowledge on hygienic food preparation by following recipes and learning about what constitutes a healthy diet. The pupils will also design and make products on a larger scale and understand how to strengthen their structures. For example, when building a castle with a bridge in ‘Towers, Tunnels and Turrets’ in Year 2. In key stage 2, the pupils will study significant people in the world of design and technology, including Alexander Bell and Steve Jobs. They will develop their knowledge on nutrition by studying seasonality of food and understanding the agricultural benefits and disadvantages of different areas in the world. By the end of key stage 2, the pupils will be able to evaluate their products, as well as the products of others, based on cost, intended audience and detailed design criteria. Throughout all year groups, there is a focus on key vocabulary that is revisited throughout different year groups. This is displayed in the classrooms as well as taught explicitly to all pupils through design and technology lessons.

On our journey on implementing our design and technology curriculum, we have developed detailed project overviews that support the teachers in planning sequentially and knowing the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that the children must know by the end of the project. The Rosenshine Principles are a key part of our planning for projects ensuring that, for example, previously taught knowledge is continually reviewed and recapped so that links can be made to new knowledge. Every project from Reception to Year 6 begins with a memorable experience. This may include an external educational visit, inviting a guest into school or a debate within the classroom. The focus of this is to identify the previous knowledge of the pupils and make immediate links to other design and technology driverl projects taught in previous years. Every project finishes with an innovate week. Throughout this week the pupils will create something – a gallery, a play, an informative magazine – that demonstrates the knowledge that they have acquired from the previous week’s teaching.

To ensure the quality of design and technology teaching is at it’s best at Co-op Academy Nightingale, moderation of workbooks, lesson visits and pupil voice learning parties take place regularly throughout each half term. This is led by our curriculum team, particularly our design and technology subject leader, and overseen by SLT.

Impact

On leaving our school our children will have developed skills in 4 key areas. They will be able to use their observations to explain and improve existing products including mentioning how these products can and could be used in the world around them, they will have skills in design and the process of idea creation with an understanding of how to match a product to a design brief. Based on products both existing and created they will be able to evaluate and investigate different products, make changes and adapt to fit a specific purpose. They will have engaged with various different products for many purposes and will be able to make choices around their understanding of these.

They will be able to apply these skills and knowledge based on their understanding of the world around them. They will use experiences to apply to new challenges in the context of drawing on experiences at our school to apply to their future learning and lives.

Design and Technology – EYFS

During their time in reception, the children will learn to explore and use a range of different media and materials.

All pupils will:

Enjoy joining in with dancing and ring games.
Sings a few familiar songs.
Beginning to move rhythmically.
Imitates movement in response to music.
Taps out simple repeated rhythms.
Explores and learns how sounds can be changed.
Explores colour and how colours can be changed.
Understands that they can use lines to enclose a space, and
then begin to use these shapes to represent objects.
Beginning to be interested in and describe the texture of
things.
Uses various construction materials.
Beginning to construct, stacking blocks vertically and
horizontally, making enclosures and creating spaces.
Joins construction pieces together to build and balance.
Realises tools can be used for a purpose.
Begins to build a repertoire of songs and dances.
Explores the different sounds of instruments.
Explores what happens when they mix colours.
Experiments to create different textures.
Understands that different media can be combined to create
new effects.
Manipulates materials to achieve a planned effect.
Constructs with a purpose in mind, using a variety of
resources.
Uses simple tools and techniques competently and
appropriately.
Selects appropriate resources and adapts work where
necessary.
Selects tools and techniques needed to shape, assemble and
join materials they are using.

Early Learning Goal:

Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Topics

Do you want to be friends?

Develop knowledge of colour by experimenting with mixing and making their own decisions about how media and materials can be combined and changed.
Making music by creating simple repeated rhythms and exploring the different sounds of instruments to make their own music.
Children play cooperatively as part of a group to develop and act out a narrative, engaging in imaginative role play based on first hand experiences using media and materials in original ways.
Use movement and gesture to express and respond to feelings.

Why do squirrels hide their nuts?

Children should be aware of similarities and differences in relation to materials.
Understand that different media can be combined to create new effects. Use a variety of materials and techniques, especially those of interest.
Children develop sewing skills using a range of different textures and resources, e.g. dried fruit and wool etc. Children find out about how media and materials can be combined and changed, whilst safely using a variety of tools.
Using clay to enable the children to explore the material, incorporating gross and fine motor skills.

What happens when I fall asleep?

Different material resources to be available for children to explore, e.g socks, gloves, wadding, cotton wool, bubble wrap, buttons, felt etc. Children will find out about different materials, using a variety of techniques.
Children will sing songs and experiment with ways of dancing and making music.
Children will explore a range of craft materials.
Children will represent their own ideas and thoughts about what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways through design and technology.

Are we there yet?

Develop knowledge of the environment we live in and say how places are the same or different. Children will look closely at similarities, patterns and change, using sight, sound and sensation senses.
No specific DT lesson for this project.

Who lives in a rock pool?

Seashells will be handled and observed by children so they can explore a range of different textures and smells. Other resources such as dried starfish and seahorses will be available for the children.
Children will use a range of different resources to decorate and paint e.g. flat white seashells. Pattern making will be encouraged and modelled by teachers.
Seaside resources – pebbles, stones, sand etc – children able to explore these and gain a deeper level of knowledge and understanding about different environments and the variety of objects you may find there.