Design Technology

At Petersgate Infant School we intend to build a Design Technology curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Children will know more, remember more and understand more.

As part of their Design and Technology education, we aim for our children to be motivated to explore different tools and techniques to create purposeful and functional products. We encourage children to use the ‘plan, do, review, improve’ approach to develop their resilience, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills. We We intend to design a design technology curriculum with appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum Design Technology Programmes of study, to fulfil the duties of the NC whereby schools must provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities and responsibilities and experiences for later life.

• Clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum. The Design Technology National Curriculum and EYFS is planned for and covered in full within the EYFS and KS1 school curriculum. Whilst the EYFS and National Curriculum forms the foundation of our curriculum, we make sure that children learn additional skills, knowledge and understanding and enhance our curriculum as and when necessary.

As part of our Design technology learning, we cover the following units:
· Structures
· Mechanisms (sliders and levers)
· Mechanisms (wheels and axels)
· Textiles
· Cooking and Nutrition

• Delivery showing clear following of the design process where each project fill follow: Plan, do, review, improve. 

• DT links with our well-being and life skills programme where children are given the opportunity to grow, harvest and cook with their own produce.

• Children in Early Years begin their understanding of the subject area through areas of learning such as Physical Development and Expressive Arts and Design. They will learn and develop skills through activities such as junk modelling, construction and cooking.

• A range of skills will be taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken

• Clear and appropriate cross curricular links to underpin learning in multi areas across the curriculum giving the children opportunities to learn life skills and apply skills to ‘hands on’ situations in a purposeful context.

• Independent learning: In enhanced and continous provision, children may well be asked to solve problems and develop their learning independently. This allows the children to have ownership over their curriculum and lead their own learning in Design Technology.

• Collaborative learning: In design and technology children may well be asked to work as part of a team learning to support and help one another towards a challenging, yet rewarding goal.

• Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum.

• Children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design 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 Technology.

• As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.