The Downs 
Design and Technology
At The Downs Church of England Primary School, our vision is to give children a Design and Technology curriculum which develops their skills and knowledge from the early years through to year 6. Design and Technology encourages the use of cross-curricular knowledge and skills to assist with problem solving. Creativity and imagination are encouraged whilst following the aims and approach of the National Curriculum, namely design, make and evaluate. Pupils are given opportunities to use research to inform design and make products, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. In all areas of Design and Technology, the children are encouraged to consider the effectiveness of their designs developing critical thinking.
Design and Technology is taught within each theme across the school, with all children engaging in learning related to textiles, construction, sheet materials, mechanisms, computer-aided design (CAD) and cooking and nutrition. Through the implementation of our progression of skills and knowledge document, skills are built upon and developed each year, ensuring that teachers have a sound understanding of where the children are coming from and where they are heading.
Due to the practical nature of Design and Technology, evidence of work undertaken by children can be in the form of children’s notes, teacher’s notes, as a photographic record and through evaluations in their learning books.
Children and families alike are made aware of key vocabulary that will support their understanding and help them to retrieve information from their long-term memory.
June 2023
Our children celebrated DT week with some very exciting activities!
Year 2 researched the evolution of the telephone and designed their own.
Year 3 learnt about the famous designers Vivienne Westwood and Coco Chanel and used their knowledge and skills to design and make shoes and bags.
Year 5 were able to work with a STEM ambassador to design and create a working floodlight.
Children from other DEALT schools were invited to join some children from years 3-6 to work on a project that involved designing and creating a mini golf course!
DT week pupil voice
- What activities did you take part in during DT week?
- Year 1: Learnt about Henry Ford, hidden hobbies crochet, decorating cakes, designing cars
- Year 2: Learnt about Alexander Graham Bell, made telephones
- Year 3: Making bags and shoes
- Year 4: staging for Iron Man
- What did you particularly enjoy?
- Year 1: decorating cakes
- Year 2: making telephones
- Year 3: testing/ trying out designs, working in pairs.
- Year 4: everything! All of it ! I really enjoyed the process and understand that you have to paint after you build and add the detail after it is finished.
- What would you like to do next year?
- Year 2: Make musical instruments, building models based on famous designs.
- Year 3: Painting
- Year 4: big junk modelling
- How has this learning helped you understand DT?
- Year 3: DT isn’t just Art it is about designing and making moving parts.
Curriculum
DT_skills_and_knowledge 2022-2023