Design and Technology Curriculum

Intent

At Boxmoor Primary School we intend Design and Technology to be creative and practical and provide children with the opportunity to problem solve and be creative. We aim to provide our children with opportunities for children to become successful engineers, sculptors, carpenters, chefs, designers and architects. This is a key part of the children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. 

Children will be taught a range of topics including; mechanisms, textiles, food technology, structures and electrical systems (in Key Stage 2) and mechanisms, textiles, food and structures (in Key Stage 1).

Through hands on practical experiences we aim for children to leave Year 6 with knowledge and skills of D&T. At Boxmoor Primary School we want to allow the children to aspire to be more through creating opportunities in the wider world and offer them skills for life which will enable them to be creative individuals.

Implementation

Children in the Early Years are encouraged to explore and use a range of media and materials whilst also developing their creativity, imagination and critical thinking. This the foundation on which learning is developed throughout the school.

We use a combination of schemes of work to support our planning and teaching of Design Technology in years 1-6. The DT Associations Projects on a Page and Plan Bee, alongside the National Curriculum, ensures a well-structured progression of D&T knowledge and skills throughout the school. When and how Design and Technology is taught is up to the individual teacher.  Each year group should complete three D&T projects over the course of the year, one of these should be a food based project.

All teaching should follow the design, make and evaluate cycle with each stage rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary.  The design phase should be given relevant contexts to give meaning to learning.  During the making stage, the children will use a variety of materials and components and be given a range of tools for their projects to choose from.  To evaluate, children should be able to evaluate their product against a design criteria.

Impact

Our vision is for children to have a love of Design and Technology and develop their creative, design and making skills. Pupil voice is an important part of our assessment allowing us to continually reflect upon our Design Technology curriculum and our offer of extra-curricular activities.

Formative assessment is used to move children’s learning forward in Design and Technology and to inform next steps.

If you, or someone you know, has knowledge or experience connected to one or more areas of D&T, please contact the D&T coordinator, who would be pleased to welcome further contributions to our learning.

Design and Technology Curriculum 

Year Group	Aspect of D & T
Year 1	Structures Freestanding structures	Mechanisms Sliders and levers	Food Preparing fruit and vegetables
Year 2	Mechanisms Wheels and Axles	Food Preparing fruit and vegetables	Textiles Templates and joining techniques
Year 3	Structures Shell Structures	Mechanical Systems Levers and linkages	Food Healthy and varied diet
Year 4	Food Healthy and varied diet	Textiles 2D 3D	Electrical Systems Simple circuits and switches
Year 5	Textiles Combining different fabric shapes	Structures Frame structures	Food Celebrating culture and seasonality
Year 6	Electrical Systems More complex switches and circuits	Mechanical Systems Pulleys, gear and cams	Food Celebrating culture and seasonality