Design and Technology at Manor Wood

At Manor Wood Primary we strive to offer our children a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum. Through Design and Technology, the pupils have the opportunity to be imaginative and creative as well as learning new skills. These progressive skills will provide them with a good foundation, confidence and knowledge of all aspects of the Design and Technology curriculum. The teachers work hard to offer cross-curricular opportunities in most, if not all, of the Design and Technology modules, which excite and inspire our children to create an individual piece of work linking many of the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Through evaluation of past and present design and technology, the children will gain a better understanding of the world around them, including expanding their technical knowledge of how structures and mechanisms work.

Intent

During every Design and Technology lesson, our children have the opportunity to make, design, evaluate and build on their technical knowledge, whilst also gaining the skills to become problem solvers, risk-takers and forward thinkers. We encourage the children to develop their own ideas while producing a purposeful, functional product. Through this process they will develop their resilience and patience, while gaining a sense of pride in their accomplishments. At Manor Wood, we offer the freedom to embed previously learnt skills and knowledge while acquiring new ones.

Implementation

At Manor Wood Primary, we have produced a ‘Progression of Skills’ document which sets out how the children will build upon skills learnt year on year. This document is used by the teachers to ensure their lessons are progressive and meet the aims of The National Curriculum.

Our curriculum is divided into three subject areas:

Cooking and Nutrition: Our children will start out in year 1 learning how to hygienically handle food products. Moving on to acquiring the skills needed to read and follow full recipes in order to fold, bind and knead ingredients to produce seasonal, healthy, balanced meals by the time they leave us in year 6.

Textiles: The year 1 children will be introduced to threading needles and a simple running stitch. And while these will continue into year 6, they will experience many stitches in order to create intricate and detailed designs which are individually decorated using sequins and beads.

Construction: To begin with, the children will be expected to choose the appropriate tools for cutting and joining different materials. This will develop into them being able to cut materials with precision and refine the finish by sanding the edges. Children will choose the most appropriate method of joining materials together from glueing, nailing or screwing.

Children have the opportunity to create one of a kind designs through use of our fully equipped STEM room, whether that be for cooking and nutrition lessons, textile lessons, or construction lessons: our STEM room offers a bespoke space for all.

Assessment and Progress:

By the end of each unit, the children are expected to evaluate their own products. They will acknowledge what has worked well and consider what may be completed differently in the future. This will enable them to further refine their knowledge and skills. It is through this evaluation that the teacher is able to assess the children’s knowledge of the process of producing products.

From year 3 onwards, the children produce an apron which follows them through key stage 2. Pupils will add to this apron every year, and the children and teachers are able to see the progress they have made in the textiles unit throughout their time at Manor Wood.

Impact

At Manor Wood, the children are encouraged to let their imagination and creativity flow when designing and creating their own products. They have the time to self-evaluate their work and acknowledge when things have not gone to plan, which builds resilience. They develop progressively throughout their journey through school, and build upon prior knowledge and skills while enjoying engaging and practical lessons.