Design and Technology
Intent
At Ringwood Junior School we have built a Design Technology curriculum which is inspiring, rigorous, and practical. We want our children to use creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We intend for all children to acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. It is our aim to create strong cross curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, and Art. We want Design and Technology to prepare our children, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in later life.
Implementation
This subject is usually taught in blocks so that the children can fully immerse themselves in their projects and see the results of their learning as their work progresses. This gives the children an opportunity to continually evaluate their learning solve problems as they arise.
Design and Technology is a crucial part of school life and learning and it is for this reason that as a school we are dedicated to the teaching and delivery of a high-quality Design and Technology curriculum. This is implemented through:
- A well thought out, whole school, yearly overview of the DT curriculum which allows for progression across year groups in all areas of DT (textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems)
- Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience
- A range of skills being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken
- Each project from Year 3 to Year 6 addressing the principles of designing, researching, skill developing, making, and evaluating, incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts.
- Pupils being introduced to specific designers, chefs, nutritionists, etc. helping to provoke an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and increase the cultural capital from which they can draw in the future.
As a school, we promote Design and Technology in the wider school through a gardening club and DT engineering after school club for Year 6 children.
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Term |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
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Autumn focus
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MECHANISMS Explore po-up movement in cards, and investigate levers and linkages with pivots. Outcome: Create a mechanical celebration card. Sustainability Link: Reuse old Christmas cards for decoration.
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Explore simple circuits & switches, current nightlights, create & decorate a cube base for lamp, create a circuit with a bulb & switch, investigate programming, circuit design and control of lights (using Tinkercad). Outcome: Create a nightlight for a child to help them get to sleep |
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS Investigate movement and motion of cam toys, different cam shapes. Explore work of Designer Rob Ives, mark out and safely cut wood to make a frame for the toy. Outcome: Create a moving cam toy for a child
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TEXTILES Investigate the history of bags and purses, different styles, how they are made, different materials and functions, combining different fabric shapes, build on sewing skills and develop stitching techniques. Outcome: Make my own bag for life which I can use Sustainability Link: Promote using one product for life and use recycled canvas and reuse old materials for decorations. |
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Spring focus
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FOOD Learn about healthy eating, composite dishes, compare sandwich products, explore food preparation. An introduction to seasonality, develop chopping, slicing and spreading skills, measuring ingredients. Food safety & hygiene. Outcome: Make a healthy sandwich snack
Sustainability Link: |
FOOD Explore whether foods are grown, farm-reared or caught, where our foods come from, revisit healthy eating. Investigate the history of biscuits, adapt a recipe, use mixing skills, measuring ingredients. Food safety & hygiene. Outcome: Bake biscuits for an occasion.
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FOOD Explore foods (bread) from around the world, different cultures, learn how bread is made & role of ingredients, compare home and commercial baking, adapt a recipe, use kneading skills, measuring ingredients with accuracy, revisit food safety & hygiene. Outcome: Bake savoury bread rolls Sustainability Link: Use herbs from herb garden |
FOOD Learn about Mexican food and key ingredients, consolidate and develop chopping /slicing skills, dice veg, use a source of heat, adapt a recipe & explore flavours measure ingredients with accuracy, food safety & hygiene. Outcome: Make a halloumi and salad Greek Gyro
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Summer focus
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STRUCTURES Explore freestanding & shell structures and packaging, 3D shapes and nets, learn about Eco-Designer Sarah Turner Find out about reusing, recycling and repurposing to create a product. Outcome: Create a desk organiser from repurposed and recycled items Sustainability Link: Using repurposed and recycled items. |
TEXTILES Explore & evaluate current pencil cases and Smiggle designs, Introduction to basic sewing skill and stitches using Binca, use a 2D textile shape to make a functioning 3D product with decorations and different examples of stitching. Outcome: Create a personalised pencil case Sustainability Link: Promoting upcycling by bringing in old clothes/fabric items to make the pencil case. |
STRUCTURES Explore different types of bridge and frame structures, Learn about bridge designer Thomas Telford and their work, explore making various joints and stable structures, work in pairs to develop a bridge design. Outcome: Create a bridge in pairs connecting to the Isle of Wight Sustainability Link: Bring in junk modelling to promote reusing and recycling. |
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Explore toy cars and how they move, investigate pulleys and motorised pulleys, explore air resistance in car design, learn about Felix Holst (former Hot Wheels designer) and the design process. Develop knowledge of programming a vehicle through ICT. Outcome: Design a car for competing in a race Sustainability Link: Meet the expert example of sustainable energy used in vehicles. |
Impact
Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and safely to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on further learning in Secondary School. Through Design and Technology, we hope that our pupils not only become discerning and informed customers, but, more importantly, creative problem solvers and potential innovators!
Building Bridges
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