St Nicolas' Church of England Infant School
Living life in all its fullness
Design Technology
Intent - Our vision
At St Nics', we want our children to:
- Be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in designing and making in an increasingly technological world.
- Use their imagination and be creative when designing and making products that solve real and relevant problems.
- Have the confidence to take risks, through challenges, problem solving and open ended tasks.
- Be able to work collaboratively as teams, becoming resourceful, reflective scientists.
- Understand the links with Information Technology, maths, spatial awareness and science.
Implementation - How we deliver this to achieve our goal
- Our delivery of the curriculum is cross curricular, linking to other areas of learning.
- We plan for purposeful projects linked to topics and events
- We promote awe and wonder opportunities which involve problem solving and investigating the properties of natural objects and materials.
- We offer opportunities for children to explore concepts for themselves through continuous provision approach
- We encourage children to share opinions and responses to designs and to ask their own questions (Wondering Walls), and to seek answers (using the research skills they have been taught).
- We make the most of opportunities to apply our learning outside, through outdoor designs in EYFS, and projects in the Garden and Grotto and Forest School.
- Pause Days include Christmas and Easter traditions, celebrations and always incorporate elements of art and design and technology
- We have a dedicated display area in Learning Lab to show case finished products and the Plan, Do, Review cycle.
- ELSA activities often use cooking and craft activities to explore and express emotions, as well as a mindful activity.
- We run Weekly Well Being Booster DT sessions for KS1 children
Impact - How we know our vision has come to fruition
Our children are ready for the next stage of their educational journey through:
- Having a love of creativity and a desire to solve problems.
- Valuing D&T as a mindful wellbeing activity, understanding how it can make them feel a sense of achievement, satisfaction and pride.
- Displaying an interest in the subject, and becoming enthusiastic, self-led, motivated learners.
- Being able to make links and reason.
- Being able to apply skills and knowledge to new situations
- Transferring their knowledge of the world and reflecting on how this could impact on the future (higher order thinking skills)
- Having an understanding of art and how to use different tools and media.
- Having an ability to work through a process of events with stamina and method towards a goal.
- Applying their values of perseverance, hope, wisdom, unity, fairness in DT.
Skills Progression: D.T (Design Technology) St Nicolas’ Infant School | |||
In KS1, statements in bold are non-negotiable in order to reach Expected Standard (no Greater Depth option). | |||
Skill | Reception EYFS | Year 1 | Year 2 |
Design | Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
| Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves based on design criteria.
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking and drawing, and where appropriate, information and communication technology. | Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for other users based on design criteria.
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, template and mock-ups, and where appropriate, information and communication technology. |
Make | Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories. | 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. |
Technical Knowledge | Share their creations, explaining the process they have used. | Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable. | Explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axels] in their products. |
Evaluate | Share their creations, explaining the process they have used. | Teach/ introduce skills to:
| Apply and embed skills to:
|
Food | Social-MS Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices | Understand where food comes from. | Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes. |
