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Part of the Heath Family (NW)

Design and Technology

At Daresbury Primary School, we want every child to SHINE as a designer and maker. Our Design and Technology curriculum develops children's creativity, curiosity, practical skills and problem-solving abilities, encouraging them to design and make purposeful products that respond to real-life needs, problems and challenges.

Our Design and Technology curriculum is part of our trust-wide curriculum and we use the Kapow Design and Technology scheme to support its delivery from Year 1 to Year 6. Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils progressively build and connect their knowledge, vocabulary and practical skills as they move through school.

Designing, Making and Evaluating

In accordance with the National Curriculum, children are given regular opportunities to design, make and evaluate purposeful products for a particular purpose and user. They learn to investigate existing products, develop and communicate their own ideas, select appropriate materials and tools, make products and prototypes, test their designs and evaluate their finished work.

Through practical experiences, pupils develop their ability to:

  • investigate and explore materials, products and design ideas;

  • generate, communicate and develop their own design ideas;

  • select appropriate materials, tools and techniques;

  • use tools and equipment safely and responsibly;

  • measure, cut, join, shape and assemble materials with increasing accuracy;

  • solve problems and adapt designs when things do not work as expected;

  • test and evaluate products against their purpose and design criteria;

  • explain their design decisions using appropriate technical vocabulary.

We recognise that the process of designing and making is as important as the finished product. Children are encouraged to learn from mistakes, persevere when challenges arise and refine their ideas through testing and evaluation. This develops resilience, independence and confidence as designers and makers.

Design and Technology and SHINE

Design and Technology makes an important contribution to our Daresbury SHINE framework: Safe, Healthy, Independent, Nurturing and Exploring.

Safe – Children learn to use tools, equipment and materials safely and responsibly and understand how to identify and manage potential hazards.

Healthy – Through food and nutrition learning, children develop an understanding of healthy choices, nutrition, food preparation and where food comes from.

Independent – Children develop confidence in planning, designing, selecting materials, using tools, solving problems and evaluating their own work.

Nurturing – Children learn to care for materials, equipment and the environment, work respectfully with others and consider how design choices can affect people and the world around them.

Exploring – Children are encouraged to be curious and creative, explore materials and mechanisms, experiment with different approaches and develop innovative solutions to problems.

Food, Nutrition and Sustainability

Food and nutrition form an important part of our Design and Technology curriculum. Children develop an understanding of the principles of a healthy and varied diet and learn how to prepare and cook a range of dishes safely.

They explore where food comes from and consider how choices about food and materials can affect people and the environment. As pupils progress through school, they develop increasingly sophisticated practical food preparation skills and an understanding of how food choices can contribute to health and wellbeing.

Design and Technology Beyond the Classroom

Design and Technology draws on and connects with learning in Science, Mathematics, Computing and Art. Children are encouraged to apply knowledge and skills from across the curriculum when solving design problems and creating products.

Children also have opportunities to apply their design, problem-solving and technical skills through experiences involving coding, programming and engineering, including the use of Crumble coding kits and Micro. These experiences allow pupils to explore how design and technology work together and develop their understanding of how products can be controlled and programmed.

We also provide opportunities for children to experience Design and Technology through STEM activities, workshops, visitors and design challenges, helping them to understand how designers, engineers and technologists use creativity and problem-solving to make a difference in the real world.

Our aim is for children to leave Daresbury as resourceful, resilient and creative designers and makers who can use practical and technical skills with increasing independence, solve problems thoughtfully and understand the impact that Design and Technology can have on people, communities and the wider world.

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