St Cuthbert's Catholic Academy

Design Technology Curriculum - The Big Picture

Philosophy

Design & Technology prepares children to design and produce solutions to problems of tomorrow’s world. It encourages children to become creative problem solvers. D&T enables children to identify the needs of others and the opportunities to respond to them. In line with the primary National Curriculum for Design & Technology, throughout Key stages 1 and 2 our pupils will have learning experiences that encourages them:

  • To develop their creativity, imagination and problem solving skills.
  • To learn how to take risks, become resourceful, innovative and enterprising.
  • To evaluate technology of the past and present and develop an appreciation of the impact technology has on daily life.

Implementation

Designing, Making & Evaluating
In EYFS, children explore the world and develop their understanding of how different aspects of the world work. They select and use appropriate tools and material to accomplish tasks and work collaboratively to achieve this. We encourage the development of skills, knowledge and understanding that help children make sense of their world. We relate this development to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals. This learning forms the foundations for later work in design and technology.

In KS1 and KS2, through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught to design, make and evaluate purposeful products for themselves and other users; using a range of tools and materials. Children will learn how to design, make and evaluate products in the following areas of D&T: structures, mechanisms, textiles, food, and electrical systems* (*KS2 only).
Children will have the opportunity to experience D&T over the course of three units per year. When D&T is taught in KS1, this lays the foundation for children to build on their learning later in KS2, ensuring that there is progression in children’s learning as they move up through the school.

Technical Knowledge
In each D&T unit there is an element of specific technical knowledge that the children must learn in order to successfully design. make and evaluate their products. By the end of KS2, children should learn: to build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger and more stable; to explore and construct working mechanisms (eg, levers, sliders, wheels, axles, gears, pulleys and cams); how textile products are joined together using a range of joining techniques (eg, glueing or sewing); and to use electrical components in their products (eg, circuits switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors).

Cooking & Nutrition
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. By the end of KS2, pupils should learn to: understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet; prepare and cook a variety of dishes using a range of cooking techniques; and understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared and processed.

Impact

Teacher assessment is used to review children’s progress and to inform future planning. Formative assessment and verbal feedback from teachers during lessons is essential for children to make progress and be successful. Evaluation is a key element of D&T and children should be encouraged to make oral and written evaluations of their work and peer assess each other’s work. Children should record their designs, plans and evaluations of their work.

Curriculum Map

EYFS

Autumn 1

Structures
Picture frames

Autumn 2

Food
Baking bread

Spring 1

Mechanisms
Making traps

Spring 2

Structures
Baskets and containers

Summer 1

Structures
Building bridges

Summer 2

Food
Healthy picnics

Year 1

Autumn 1

Structures
Freestanding structures

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Mechanisms
Sliders and levers

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Food
Exploring, tasting and describing fruit

Summer 2

n/a

Year 2

Autumn 1

Mechanisms
Wheels and axles

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Structures
Building houses

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Food
Healthy salads

Summer 2

n/a

Year 3

Autumn 1

Structures
Boxes and packaging

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Food
Sandwiches and wraps

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Mechanical systems
Pneumatic machines

Summer 2

n/a

Year 4

Autumn 1

Mechanical Systems
Levers and linkages

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Textiles
2D shapes to 3D product

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Electrical Systems
Simple circuits and switches

Summer 2

n/a

Year 5

Autumn 1

Structures
Frame structures

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Food
Celebrating culture and seasonality

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Mechanical systems
Pulleys and gears

Summer 2

n/a

Year 6

Autumn 1

Mechanical Systems
Cams

Autumn 2

n/a

Spring 1

Textiles
Combining different fabric shapes

Spring 2

n/a

Summer 1

Electrical Systems
More complex switches and circuits (including programming, monitoring and control)

Summer 2

n/a

Autumn: To be able to...

EYFS

To design and make a picture frame

To explore types of bread and bread-making.

KS1

Year 1
To design, make and evaluate a freestanding structure.

Year 2
To design, make and evaluate a moving vehicle with wheels and axles.

KS2

Year 3
To design, make and evaluate packaging for a cereal product.

Year 4
To design, make and evaluate a moving book with levers and linkages.

Year 5
To design, make and evaluate a frame structure.

Year 6
To design, make and evaluate a moving toy with cams.

Spring: To be able to...

EYFS

To design and make a trap to catch a character from a book

To design and make a basket for Little Red Riding Hood.

KS1

Year 1
To design, make and evaluate a moving book with sliders and levers.

Year 2
To design, make and evaluate a model of a building using recycled materials.

KS2

Year 3
To design, make and evaluate a healthy sandwich or wrap for a packed lunch.

Year 4
To design, make and evaluate a 3D textile container.

Year 5
To design, make and evaluate a meal celebrating a different culture or cuisine.

Year 6
To design, make and evaluate a 3D product with different textile shapes and fabrics.

Summer: To be able to...

EYFS

To design and make a bridge for the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

To design and make a healthy picnic for a trip to the beach.

KS1

Year 1
To explore, taste and describe different fruit and vegetables.

Year 2
To design, make and evaluate a healthy salad.

KS2

Year 3
To design, make and evaluate a pneumatically-powered moving machine.

Year 4
To design, make and evaluate a product with an electrical circuit and a switch.

Year 5
To design, make and evaluate a moving toy with pulleys or gears.

Year 6
To design, make & evaluate a product with more complex switches & circuits (including programming, monitoring & control).