Mayfield Church of England Primary School

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, we teach the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the creative process of designing and making. The children design and create products that consider function and purpose and which are relevant to a range of sectors (for example, the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment) in considering the needs and values of others we encourage our children to be respectful of others needs and opinions and to broaden their own ideas. We encourage our children to reflect upon their work throughout all stages of the process, developing our children as critical thinkers and problem solvers.

In Design and Technology we teach the children to follow a process, when starting a project the children are taught to:

Design:
• use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups.
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.

Make:
• select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing, as well as chopping and slicing) accurately.
• select from and use a wider range of materials, ingredients and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties, aesthetic qualities and, where appropriate, taste.

Evaluate:
• investigate and analyse a range of existing products.
• evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work.
• understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.

Use their technical knowledge:
• apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.
• understand and use mechanical systems in their products.
• understand and use electrical systems in their products.
• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products
• Understand some of the ways that food can be processed and the effect of different cooking practices (including baking and grilling).

Key knowledge and skills for Design and Technology have been mapped across the school and wherever possible they are closely linked to the themes and topics children are following each term.  In this way, the skills are made more relevant and meaningful to the children. They are also mapped clearly for progression, with skills being developed across each year group and then built upon each year as the child travels through our school.