Design and Technology

At Whiteley, we aim for children to learn design and technology through being designers and inventors who solve real life problems with creativity, imagination and resilience. Children will learn how to take risks and to become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable young adults. They will be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with real life purpose. Children will become critical thinkers who evaluate and test their own ideas and products as well as those of others. They will develop resilience to overcome problems and learn to work both independently and as members of a team to help prepare them for a successful future in the rapidly changing world.

The design and technology curriculum at Whiteley Primary School from Year 1 to Year 6 is based on the national curriculum objectives for design and technology. These are organised into projects which are based on real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts and which progressively deepen children’s understanding of concepts as they progress through the school. Children will consider their own and others’ needs, wants and values whilst developing their skills of designing, making and evaluating and learning new technical knowledge.

In Year R, design and technology is taught through the “Understanding of the World” and “Expressive Arts and Design” parts of the Early Years, Foundation Stage curriculum. At Whiteley, the design and technology learning will take place in rich indoor and outdoor classroom environments. Children will be encouraged to solve problems through designing and making activities using a wide range of materials which they will learn to cut, join and finish.

Our curriculum is designed so that in each year group, three high quality design and technology teaching and learning experiences are delivered, one of which has a cooking and nutrition focus. Units build progressively through the key stages and all year groups are aware of prior learning and next steps in learning to aid progress further. Children are involved in the process of Health and Safety allowing them to identify risks and learn ways to minimise them to become more independent and to work more safely in their practical design and technology.

All design and technology projects will follow the same design process. Children will be presented with a real life design problem. They will then take part in investigative and evaluative activities to explore current designs and products. This will include the study of key events and individuals related to the project who have helped shape the world (key stage 2 only). Through the time spent investigating, disassembling and evaluating the children will learn and build upon knowledge needed for the task. Focussed practical tasks will allow children to learn and further develop specific skills needed for making a product.  The children will create a design specification for their product which they will then design, make and evaluate.

The design process at Whiteley Primary School.

• Design Problem
• Design brief
• Research – including designer/inventor (key stage 2 only)
• Focussed practical tasks
• Specification
• Design Ideas/ Design development/ Final design
• Prototype
• Testing
• Evaluation