Design & Technology

Design & Technology Curriculum Intent

Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Martongate Primary School, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We believe that high-quality design and technology lessons will inspire children to think independently, innovatively and develop creative, procedural and technical understanding.

We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers.

Within each unit of Design and Technology children are taught and immersed in four phases of learning; Research, Design, Make, Evaluate. Alongside this, children develop the technical knowledge required to within different elements of design, such as sewing and the knowledge they require to make healthy choices when cooking and eating.

Through design and technology work in the classroom, our children have the opportunity to develop their skills in mechanisms, structures, textiles, mechanical systems, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition. These areas are developed continuously throughout the school from foundation stage through to year six and the children have the opportunity to revisit skills from previous years before learning new ones. 

Technical knowledge and relevant vocabulary is taught through every unit and revisited as children progress through the school. This ensures that children gain an understanding and can deploy abstract design terms, such as 'prototype' and 'specification' within their work. 

Design & Technology Curriculum Implementation

From the beginnings of Design and Technology teaching in our EYFS, we endeavour to instil a sense of creativity in our pupils, allowing their understanding to develop through organised play in a creative area. They safely use and explore a variety of media, materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

Design and Technology lessons are rich in resources, vocabulary, questioning and content enabling children to develop mastery of the aims of the National Curriculum. Units of Design and Technology are further enhanced by focus weeks  and days when children are encouraged to master practical skills, deign, make, evaluate and improve their creations.

Cross curricular outcomes in design and technology are specifically planned for and these are indicated on the knowledge organiser for each unit of work. Real-life problems are always used as a stimulus for design lessons helping to foster the skills required for achievement in later life.

Rationale for sequencing in Design & Technology

The Design and Technology curriculum at Martongate has been developed so that children gain the knowledge and skills in design, making, evaluating and technical knowledge through 4 distinct concepts. These are Food Technology, Structures, Mechanisms and Textiles.  All units of work from Year 1 to Year 6 are linked to one or more of these concepts ensuring knowledge and skills build progressively as children move through the school. Knowledge is taught and reinforced consistently and all units build on previous learning taught in earlier year groups.