Design Technology Curriculum Intent

At Lyppard Grange Primary School, we are proud to deliver an ambitious Design and Technology curriculum built upon the framework of the National Curriculum. Thoughtfully designed, it aims to inspire creativity, problem-solving and innovation, preparing children for an ever-evolving world.

Our primary aim is to equip children with the core design and technological knowledge and essential practical skills they need to be Secure, Engaged, and Equipped for life (SEE). Through purposeful designing and making, children develop confidence in their ability to solve real-world problems and to think creatively and critically.

We take a thematic approach to learning, weaving Design and Technology meaningfully into engaging themes. This allows children to make clear connections between subjects such as science, mathematics, computing and art, deepening their understanding of how design and technology impact everyday life. Each lesson is carefully crafted to nurture our school’s core learning values: curiosity, adaptability, perseverance, courage, teamwork, communication, and independence.

Our Design and Technology curriculum not only builds technical knowledge and practical competence but also promotes the development of well-rounded, resilient learners by developing skills of perseverance and adaptability. By planning opportunities for exploration, experimentation and evaluation it allows children to be prepared for future challenges. Through our Design and Technology curriculum, we empower children to be SECURE by developing self-belief and independence as they learn to design, make and evaluate products, reflecting on their successes and areas for improvement. Children learn to recognise the importance of safety, precision and responsibility when using tools, equipment and materials.

We empower children to be ENGAGED by encouraging them to explore real-life problems, consider user needs and to have the courage to generate and test ideas. They develop creativity and curiosity as they experiment with materials, mechanisms, structures, textiles and food technology, while also gaining an understanding of sustainability, healthy choices and the impact of design decisions on the wider world.

We empower children to be EQUIPPED for life by ensuring they develop transferable skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and effective communication. Through Design and Technology, children apply mathematical and scientific knowledge, develop technical vocabulary, and learn to plan, evaluate and refine their work. These skills prepare them to confidently navigate an increasingly technological world and inspire them to become innovative, thoughtful and responsible designers of the future.

VISION -Being a Designer at Lyppard Grange Primary School

Design and Technology at Lyppard Grange is an exciting, inspiring and practical subject which enables children to become innovators and problem solvers. As designers, children understand the place that Design and Technology has in our world, exploring and evaluating existing products and allowing them opportunities to marvel at human ingenuity. It requires the practical application of knowledge, skills and understanding drawn from several subject areas including: art, science, mathematics, engineering and computing. Through ‘Design and Make’ tasks, children will use their imaginations and creativity to design with an end-user in mind, producing functional and purposeful products. This will involve researching products, designing, making and evaluating their own work and that of others. Children are given lots of opportunities to develop new skills and techniques, working with a variety of materials including food, textiles, technical components and modelling materials.

INTENT 

The intent for Design and Technology is for children to become independent and innovative thinkers through inspiring design challenges that encourage children to explore, experiment and problem solve. Design and Technology allows children to develop many key skills to help equip them as life-long learners building resilience and giving them opportunities to develop their investigative skills. Through the Design and Technology curriculum, children will be set various design and make tasks allowing them to produce functional and purposeful products.

National Curriculum Links

Key stage 1

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts (for example, the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment).

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make

• 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

Evaluate                                                              

• explore and evaluate a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria Technical knowledge
• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
• explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.

Key stage 2

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts (for example, the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment). When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design

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

Make

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

Evaluate

• investigate and analyse a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
• understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world Technical knowledge
• apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures
• understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages]
• understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Cooking and nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.

Pupils should be taught to:

Key stage 1

• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
• understand where food comes from.

Key stage 2

• 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.

IMPLEMENTATION 

Planning is sequenced to allow the learning of key skills and knowledge which are built upon cumulatively. Each unit poses children with an authentic and meaningful design challenge leading to the development of design criteria which are used to guide the development and evaluation of their products.

Design technology is taught in three main stages (IEAs, FPTs and DME

assignments) and should address the 6 D&T principles- user, purpose,

functionality, design decisions, innovation and authenticity. 

IEAs (Investigative and Evaluative activities)- investigating, deconstruction and evaluating existing products, food tasting and sensory analysis, internet/ real-life research and surveys.

Focussed Practical Tasks – children have the opportunity to learn and practise new skills and techniques which they can utilise in their products.

Design, Make and Evaluate Assignment –

• Design- using a design brief to generate ideas, communicating ideas through sketching and labelling, discussions, making templates, diagrams and use of Computer Aided Design.
• Make- selecting resources and materials, using a range of tools and equipment safely.
• Evaluate- consider the success of the product, comparing against the design specification and if it is fit for the intended purpose and user.

Our units of study are divided into five areas:

Structures, Food, Textiles, Mechanical Structures and Electrical Systems.

Food technology is taught at least once a year in each year group.

IMPACT 

As designers, children are prepared to be resilient, creative, lifelong learners who are a part of the rapidly changing world where design and innovation matter. Children are able to problem solve freely, understanding the importance of mistakes and have the confidence to persevere. Their creativity and innovation can be nurtured through design, applying cross-curricular skills in a practical way.

There is evidence of a sequence of learning which demonstrates the three-step process. Learning and key skills are built upon across the school which is evidenced in the application of skills in the end product.