Design and Technology

In Year 2

In Year 2 for our Design and Technology projects we have been creating new mode of transport for Winnie the Witch. As part of the design process, the children learned about wheels and axles, exploring a range of toy vehicles to see how they move and what makes them work effectively. They then used this knowledge to design their own imaginative modes of transport for Winnie.

The children worked brilliantly together, sharing ideas, listening to one another, and showing wonderful creativity and problem-solving skills throughout the activity. Once their models were complete, they evaluated their final products against their original designs, considering whether they were fit for purpose and how they might improve them next time.

In Nursery
Today in Nursery we read This is Our House by Michael Rosen. Afterwards, we worked in small groups to design and build our very own cardboard box houses, just like in the story.

Throughout the activity, the children shared resources, listened carefully to one another, and considered their friends’ ideas. They explored simple joining techniques and demonstrated great teamwork and creativity.

It was fascinating to see the different approaches each group took. One group was very focused on the structural elements of their house, ensuring it was strong and stable. Another group concentrated on colour and decoration, while a third group paid close attention to the interior design of their kitchen. One group explored the kinds of gadgets found in our homes, and the final group took a very realistic approach to their design.

By the end of the afternoon, we had created our very own cardboard street - a wonderful celebration of imagination, collaboration, and design!

Find the road map for Design and Technology for the children here at St George's.

/docs/St_Georges_Design_and_Technology_Road_Map.pdf

Our vision is to provide an excellent, well-rounded education which celebrates academic, emotional and spiritual achievement and prepares everyone to fulfil their full potential in an inclusive environment in God’s World.

“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." Maya Angelou

As stated in the National Curriculum Purpose of Study for Design and Technology, “Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.”

At St George’s, our Design and Technology curriculum is underpinned by the above statement and we believe that design and technology is an essential part of children’s development throughout the school, from our youngest children in Nursery, through to the young adults we hand over to the next phase of their lifelong journey. The following aims are embedded within our teaching and are central to the engaging lessons where our children encounter a range of opportunities to explore design and technology.

We aim for all pupils to:

• 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

At St George’s, our intent is to provide a high quality Design and Technology education, which enables children to develop their creativity, imagination, and their critical thinking in the rapidly changing technological world around them. We encourage them to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems, both as individuals and as members of a team. We want children to use their 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 aim to, wherever possible, link work to other subjects such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Through the study of design and technology children combine practical skills including food technology with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design, make and evaluate a product.

We promote an ‘I can do’ philosophy in which we aim to develop ‘growth mindset’ attitudes. Children are provided with a challenging curriculum to build their resilience and promote creativity; they are reminded that it is acceptable to get the wrong answers and even experience difficulties when faced with challenges and anything new or unfamiliar. Teachers use these experiences to address mistakes, enabling them to build resilience in a safe environment. in which all children are able to flourish. This also includes our SEND children who have their needs scaffolded in order for them to access challenging Design and Technology activities.

Baking Scones in Y5

 Year 5 have really enjoyed baking scones as part of their DT work. They tasted a variety of scones and agreed that the ones they made were the best!