Design & Technology
Curriculum Intent
Our aim at Dorridge Primary School is to provide effective learning opportunities through Design and Technology, where every pupil can develop their skills in the subject. These involve designing and making, investigating and evaluating, increasing technical knowledge and cooking and nutrition. From analysing simple, familiar, commercial articles through to completing varied focused practical tasks, our children will improve their understanding of materials, components, mechanisms, structures, control, health and safety and the related vocabulary they will use throughout the process of creating a functional product.
Curriculum Implementation
Across the key stages at least one design and make task is completed a term with focused activities arising mainly from termly topics and based on new skills the children are required to learn to ensure progression. Attention is also given to exploring the roles of previous inventors, designers, engineers, chefs and manufacturers who have developed ground-breaking products which the pupils themselves utilise in everyday life.
In KS1 children are expected to learn where food comes from and what constitutes a healthy diet. In KS2 further steps are to prepare and cook savoury dishes and learn more about how food is reared/grown and about the effects of seasonality. Therefore, each year group enjoys access to a range of resources and materials to meet such requirements even to growing some produce within our school grounds and at Packwood House.
In Year 5 and 6, we enjoy close links with Arden Academy Design and Technology department. This enables our pupils to gain from their invaluable expertise, have access to a laser printer and further resources, and allows for transition opportunities to occur.
Year 3
Food: Baking and decorating a Christmas cake, and Egyptian canapés for Celebration day.
Free standing structures: Stiff and flexible materials – making a photograph frame for holiday snaps.
Moving Toys: Textiles – animal toys using range of materials and techniques.
Year 4
A Torch: Electrical components – using bulbs, switches, wires and batteries to create a torch that lights up.
Fair Trade Money Container: Sewing – make a sewn fabric container, using a variety of textiles and threads.
Levers: moving illustration for a Greek myth- mechanical components
Year 5
Mouldable Materials: Mask making using Plastazote – mould and fix materials to a theatrical mask for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Victorian toys: Use gears, moving cams, wheels and wood to make toys inspired by Victorian toys.
Food: Bread Making– baking breads from around the world.
Year 6
Shelters: Model making – using and joining stiff and flexible materials – making an animal hide or shelter.
Controllable Vehicles: Design and make a controllable vehicle using a variety of materials, including wood and card.
Slippers: A variety of textiles joined and finished to make slippers.
External Websites
Below is a list of external website links to discover more about Design and Technology. Please note that, as these are external sites, it is possible that they may change or disappear without warning!
KS1 BBC Bitesize Design and Technology
KS2 BBC Bitesize Design and Technology