Design Technology | Bidbury Infant School

Design Technology

Design Technology at Bidbury Infant School

At Bidbury, our learning in design technology is based on the Kapow Primary design technology scheme of work. This aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through the scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

The aims of our design and technology scheme of work align with those in the national curriculumenables and enable pupils to meet the end of key stage 1 attainment targets in the national curriculum. EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils’ to work towards the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals.

Primary national curriculum aims for design technology

The Kapow Primary design technology scheme of work aligns with the national curriculum aims for design technology aims to ensure that all pupils (by the end of key stage 2):

develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Key stage 1 attainment targets

The Kapow Primary design technology scheme of work enables pupils to meet the national curriculum end of key stage 1 attainment targets.

Through a variety of creative and practical activities, pupils should be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making. They should work in a range of relevant contexts [for example, the home and school, gardens and playgrounds, the local community, industry and the wider environment]. When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design

design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make

select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Evaluate

explore and evaluate a range of existing products
evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

Technical knowledge

build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.

Cooking and nutrition

As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. 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. In key stage 1, pupils should be taught to:

use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
understand where food comes from.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Our EYFS lessons are play-based, hands-on and fun and a natural precursor to design technology in Year 1. We believe that having the opportunity to develop design technology skills at an early age can foster interest and confidence and give pupils an advantage going into key stage 1. The EYFS units link to prime and specific areas of the EYFS framework 2021 and Development Matters Guidance. There are three EYFS units focused on the strands of structures and textiles. These units consist of a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated activities which are selected by the teacher to fit in with different themes or topics. The children are also introduced to design technology through continuous provision and by enabling them to explore different forms of design technology in their daily classroom play.

Kapow Primary design technology scheme of work

The design and technology national curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. Kapow Primary have used these attainment targets as their four strands. Units have been carefully selected to ensure gradual progression towards the national curriculum end of key stage attainment targets and to cover all of the four strands in enough detail.

Within the Kapow Primary design technology scheme of work, the national curricupum subject content is organised into four key areas: cooking and nutrution; mechanisms/mechanical systems; structures; and textiles. These are planned as a cyclical route through which pupils can revisit and develop their design technology knowledge and skills each year and build on previous learning. The areas enable our teachers to see prior and future learning for their pupils and how each unit being taught fits into the pupils' wider learning journey.

Cooking and nutrution: Where food comes from, balanced diet, preparation and cooking skills. Kitchen hygiene and safety. Following recipes.
Mechanisms/mechanical systems: Mimic natural movements using mechanisms such as cams, followers, levers and sliders.
Structures: Material functional and aesthetic properties, strength and stability, stiffen and reinforce structures.
Textiles: Fastening, sewing, decorative and functional fabric techniques including cross stitch, blanket stitch and appliqué.

Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning with the following key principles in mind:

Cyclical: Pupils revisit the key strands throughout KS1.
Increasing depth: Each time a key strand is revisited, it is covered with greater complexity.
Prior knowledge: Upon returning to each key strand, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build on previous foundations, rather than starting again.

There is a clear progression of skills and knowledge within the areas across each year group. In key stage 2 at Bidbury Junior School children go on to study the remaining two key areas of electical systems and digital world.

Year R

		Structures Junk modelling (6 lessons)	Textiles Bookmarks (6 lessons)	Structures Boats (6 lessons)
		Exploring materials through junk modelling, children develop their scissor skills and awareness of different materials and joining techniques. Children begin to make verbal plans and material choices before starting, and problem solve while making their model.	Developing fine motor skills through a range of threading activities before moving on to use binka and a needle. Children design a bookmark, considering what to include and why and then follow their designs to complete their bookmarks.	Considering the properties of materials through water play, children discover which materials are waterproof and whether they float or sink. Children evaluate a variety of boats and use their new-found knowledge to design and make a boat that is waterproof and floats.
Skills	Design	Making verbal plans and material choices. Developing a junk model.	Discussing what a good design needs. Designing a simple pattern with paper. Designing a bookmark. Choosing from available materials.	Designing a junk model boat. Using knowledge from exploration to inform design.
	Make	Improving fine motor/scissor skills with a variety of materials. Joining materials in a variety of ways (temporary and permanent). Joining different materials together. Describing their junk model, and how they intend to put it together.	Developing fine motor/cutting skills with scissors. Exploring fine motor/threading and weaving (under, over technique) with a variety of materials. Using a prepared needle and wool to practise threading.	Making a boat that floats and is waterproof, considering material choices.
	Evaluate	Giving a verbal evaluation of their own and others’ junk models with adult support. Checking to see if their model matches their plan. Considering what they would do differently if they were to do it again. Describing their favourite and least favourite part of their model.	Reflecting on a finished product and comparing to their design.	Making predictions about, and evaluating different materials to see if they are waterproof. Making predictions about, and evaluating existing boats to see which floats best. Testing their design and reflecting on what could have been done differently. Investigating the how the shapes and structure of a boat affect the way it moves.
Knowledge	Technical	To know there are a range to different materials that can be used to make a model and that they are all slightly different. Making simple suggestions to fix their junk model.	To know that a design is a way of planning our idea before we start. To know that threading is putting one material through an object.	To know that ‘waterproof’ materials are those which do not absorb water.
Knowledge	Additional			To know that some objects float and others sink. To know the different parts of a boat.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

For key stage 1, the scheme of work aligns with the National Curriculum design technology aims and enables pupils to meet the end of key stage 1 attainment targets.

Primary National Curriculum for design technology aims that all pupils (by the end of key stage 2):

develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

DfE National Curriculum: design technology programme of study: key stage 1

Year 1

Structures	Mechanisms	Mechanisms	Textiles	Cooking and nutrition
Constructing windmills	Moving story book	Wheels and axles	Puppets	Smoothies
Designing, decorating and building a windmill, developing an understanding of different types of windmill, how they work and their key features. Looking at examples of windmills and exploring the functions that they carry out.	Experimenting with sliders, pupils then plan and make three pages of a moving story book - drawing the page backgrounds, creating the moving parts and assembling it.	Learning about the main components of a wheeled vehicle. Developing understanding of how wheels, axles and axle holders work and problem-solving why wheels won't rotate. Pupils then design and build their own vehicles and evaluate them against a set design criteria.	Exploring different ways of joining fabrics before creating hand puppets based upon characters from a well-known fairytale. Developing technical skills of cutting, glueing, stapling and pinning.	Handling and exploring fruits and vegetables and learning how to identify a fruit. Undertaking taste tests to identify ingredients for a smoothie they make, and designing and creating packaging for their smoothie.

Pupils should be taught to:	Constructing windmills	Moving story book	Wheels and axles	Puppets	Smoothies
Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria (Design).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology (Design).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing] (Make).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics (Make).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Explore and evaluate a range of existing products (Evaluate).	ü	ü	ü
Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria (Evaluate).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable (Technical knowledge)	ü
Explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products (Technical knowledge).	ü	ü	ü
Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes (Design, Make, Evaluate).
Understand where food comes from (Design, Make, Evaluate).					ü

Year 2

Mechanisms	Cooking and nutrition	Mechanisms	Structures	Textiles
Fairground wheel	Balanced diet	Making a moving monster	Baby Bear's chair	Pouches
Designing and creating a functional Ferris wheels, pupils consider how the different components fit together so that the wheels rotate and the structure stands freely. Selecting appropriate materials and developing their cutting and joining skills.	Exploring and learning what forms a balanced diet, pupils taste test ingredient combinations from different food groups to inform a wrap design of their choice which will include a healthy mix of protein, vegetables and dairy.	Learning the terms: pivot, lever and linkage, pupils then design a monster that will move using a linkage mechanism. Pupils practise making linkages and experiment with various materials to bring their monsters to life.	Using the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears as inspiration, pupils help Baby Bear by making him a brand new chair, exploring different shapes and materials. When designing the chair, they consider his needs and what he likes.	An introduction to sewing, pupils learn to sew a basic running stitch and then use and create templates to then make their own pouches, designing, cutting, sewing and decorating them.

Pupils should be taught to:	Fairground wheel	Balanced diet	Making a moving monster	Baby Bear's chair	Pouches
Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria (Design).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology (Design).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing] (Make).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics (Make).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Explore and evaluate a range of existing products (Evaluate).	ü	ü	ü		ü
Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria (Evaluate).	ü	ü	ü	ü	ü
Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable (Technical knowledge)	ü			ü
Explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products (Technical knowledge).	ü		ü
Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes (Design, Make, Evaluate).		ü
Understand where food comes from (Design, Make, Evaluate).		ü

Impact

The impact of our design technology curriculum is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Teachers assess children against the learning objectives for each lesson. Each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher, which can be used at the start or end of the unit to assess children’s understanding.

The expected impact is that children will meet or exceed the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for design technology by the end of Year 2. After following our design technology curriculum, pupils should leave infant school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in the next stage of their education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.

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