Design & Technology
Our expert, who ensures Design & Technology strategies are linked across the school-age groups Miss Dobbins.
Overview
Using their creativity and imagination, children get the chance to design and make products for a real purpose and within a variety of different contexts. They do this through the coverage of three different design and technology units per year. Through the teaching of design and technology, children are taught to be independent learners through selecting and using appropriate tools safely and effectively to achieve their desired outcome. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other curriculum areas such as, mathematics, science, computing and art. Through design and technology children are given the opportunities to reflect on their own work and that of others and to evaluate past and present designs and technologies.
In the Foundation Stage we work on children exploring and becoming independent learners and showing them what this looks like. We do this through the expressive art and design strand of the early year’s curriculum. Through provision we help children to be creative and reflective and we promote the attitude of curiosity and questioning. We encourage them to choose their own media, materials and resources to engage in open-ended activities and this helps them to develop confidence in their own ideas. Using and building upon the children’s interests and experiences helps them to create fantastic inventions individually or collaboratively as a team. We heavily support children’s learning through asking open ended questions to move their learning on.
In KS1, we start to introduce our project-based approach to design and technology over three units per year. Children take part in a selection of practical and creative activities, where they are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to go through the process to design and make a product. In KS2, we continue to build on the project-based approach and further develop the experiences the children have had in KS1 and the Foundation Stage. We start to pose more challenging questions that help children to become more reflective of their own work and to help them refine their processes. Also in KS2, we encourage children to think beyond the classroom and become inquisitive to the wider concepts of the world around them and industry.
Across all the year groups, we want children to learn the following skills and knowledge-based concepts:
- Designing
- Making
- Evaluatin
- Technical Knowledge
- Cooking and nutrition
Course Outline
Through Design & Technology at Carlton, the children will safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.