Through our Christian ethos, we teach children to hear, understand and live the word of God, helping them to give back to the world as global citizens. As every child is uniquely created in God’s image, we nurture their individual development through a holistic approach to all aspects of life.

Intent

At St. Mary’s Primary School, design and technology will be an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Our aim is for pupils to use their creativity and imagination to design and make products to enable them to solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. To do this, they will have the opportunity to consider their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge, drawing on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The design and technology curriculum will teach pupils how to take risks, be resourceful and innovative, helping them to become enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they will develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Implementation

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils will be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They will be taught to:

Design

• purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria (KS1)

• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology (KS1)

• use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups (KS2)

• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design (KS2)

Make

• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) (KS1)

• select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics (KS1)

• select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing), accurately (KS2)

• select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities (KS2)

Evaluate

• explore and evaluate a range of existing products (KS1)

• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria (KS1)

• investigate and analyse a range of existing products (KS2)

• evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work (KS2)

• understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world (KS2)

Technical knowledge

• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable (KS1)

• explore and use mechanisms (for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles), in their products (KS1)

• apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures (KS2)

• understand and use mechanical systems in their products (for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages) (KS2)

• understand and use electrical systems in their products (for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors) (KS2)

• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products (KS2)

Cooking and nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating, which is a crucial life skill.

In KS1 pupils will:

• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes

• understand where food comes from.

In KS2 pupils will:

• 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

• understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Impact

At St. Mary's Primary School, we want the pupils to have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that can be applied to other areas of the curriculum. They will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about design and technology, demonstrating this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities out of school. The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in design and technology, developing skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.