Design Technology

Intent

At Park Road, we intend to give every child the chance to use and develop their creative thinking and design skills in order to create products designed for a specific purpose. Through a variety of creative and practical projects, children are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to design and create their own individual products confidently and efficiently. Our curriculum also enables them to reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology and how it is used in the world around them. Design Technology helps children think about positive changes they can make for the future through the products they design and create. We intend to equip our children with the means to become resourceful, innovative and capable citizens.

At Park Road, Design Technology is taught in all year groups through at least one topic per term. One of these topics will be based around food allowing children to develop an understanding of where food comes from, how to prepare food and the importance of a varied and healthy diet. Design Technology is embedded well within our curriculum with many links to different subjects which allows children to continually develop their skills.

During EYFS, children are given many opportunities to explore a variety of materials and tools through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. Children are encouraged to explore different materials and tools to create products which have a purpose in mind.

In key stage 1, we aim to develop children’s creativity and problem solving skills through purposeful design projects both individually and as part of a team. Children get the opportunity to analyse existing products and then are given the opportunity to design and then produce a product which meets a specific purpose. They are encouraged to explore and use a varied range of tools, equipment and materials to perform practical tasks when creating their design.

Within key stage 2, children use research and develop design criteria to design innovative products fit for purpose. When designing, they start to develop and model their ideas through annotated sketches and technical diagrams. When creating their product, children revisit the skills previously taught in the curriculum and are able to develop and build on these. Children have the opportunity to use a wider range of specific tools to perform practical tasks and select from a wider range of construction materials and components. They develop technical concepts such as strengthening structures, using mechanical and electrical systems in their products and are able to use ICT within their designs. They evaluate and analyse their products against design criteria and look at how Design and Technology is used within the world.