Design and Technology at Hardwick
Design and Technology is about using creativity and imagination to design, make and evaluate products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts.
It gives children the knowledge and skills to become resourceful, innovate, enterprising and capable citizens by drawing on other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.
Without it they would not learn of the impact past and present design and technology innovations have on daily life and the wider world. Design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation and teaches children the key skills of designing, making and evaluating products promoting the consideration of their own and others’ needs, wants and values.
It feeds into our school’s curriculum intent by providing children with first hand experiences within a vocabulary rich curriculum that provides many opportunities for them to discuss and explore both past and present inventions and inventors. It is taught in a way that gives children the chance to be critical and question what they see around them through a clear progression of learning that is inclusive for all children within the school.
Design and Technology is taught across the whole school from the very youngest children in our nursery to those in Year 6. Our curriculum ensures that children learn new knowledge and skills and progress in these so that they become skilled in designing and producing functional products.
Our curriculum ensures that our children:
- Are taught to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make a product.
- Skills are taught progressively to ensure that all children are able to learn and practice in order to develop as they move through the school.
- Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows children to adapt and improve their product. This is a key skill needed throughout life.
- Design and Technology allows children to apply the knowledge and skills learned in other subjects, particularly Maths, Science and Art.
- Interests are captured through thematic learning, ensuring that links are made in a cross-curricular way, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning.
- Children will explore past and present pioneers in Design and Technology and have opportunities to explore future careers linked with making an impact on the wider world.
- Children will learn basic cooking skills and about nutrition.
In addition, children are given the opportunity to see how design and technology impacts daily life through first hand experiences. Careers in STEM are explored as the children are provided with opportunities to meet and question professionals from different backgrounds. Some of the places that children visit are the East Midlands Airport, Rolls Royce, Pizza Express and many more.
Please see below our curriculum progression grid for Design and Technology, detailing how our children progress through knowledge and skills from Nursery to Year 6:
Useful websites
https://www.stem.org.uk/ – This website provides STEM activities. Learn to problem solve and apply skills from other areas in these activities.
https://www.learnbydesign.co.uk/stemathome - This website provides STEM activities and experiments. Some are linked to careers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zb9d7ty - KS1 Bitesize Design and Technology.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zyr9wmn - KS2 Bitsize Design and Technology.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ks2-design-and-technology/zvb8hbk - Videos to support KS2