Five Spires Primary Academy
Statement of Intent
Design & Technology (D&T)
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Make Technical Knowledge Evaluate Design Cooking & Nutrition
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Purpose of Study
D&T is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems in a variety of contexts. They acquire a broad range of subject-knowledge and draw on other disciplines eg maths, computing, science and art. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative and enterprising. Through the evaluation of design past and present, they understand the contribution that high-quality design and technology has on the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of a nation.
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Who is the Five Spires Designer?
The Five Spires Designer understands the iterative nature of the design process and uses this to research, design, communicate, make and evaluate a range of prototypes and products. They are resourceful, innovative and bold and can suggest ways to solve real and relevant problems. The Five Spires Designer has a wide repertoire of skills and can apply this understanding to a range of contexts eg mechanical systems, electrical systems and structures. They understand the principles of nutrition and can apply this to meal design.
Five Spires Academy Curriculum Rationale
• Purposeful, hands-on and engaging learning opportunities encourage understanding of the iterative process;
• Objectives across all strands revisited and embedded within and across year groups and key stages to ensure cumulative fluency;
• Meaningful links made across subject areas to promote cross-curricular thinking;
• Pupils’ character development underpinned by transferable skills eg being resourceful, resilient and innovative.
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The National Curriculum for Design and Technology aims to ensure that all pupils:
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Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
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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.
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Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
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Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
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Documents
Whole School Curriculum Map - DT
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We Are Designers!
EYFS
In EYFS, the children are provided with exciting learning opportunities to develop making skills such as cutting, chopping, sticking and designing.
The children have multiple food making lessons each half term to provide chances to design and make various foods. During these lessons, the children design their colours, shapes and patterns and consider the skills that they are using to make their product.
Year 1
In the Autumn Term Year 1, use the stimulus of the Three Little Pigs tale to explore materials in their mission 'Huff and Puff'. Mummy Pig needs the pigs to build her a new house so children have to decide which materials are best to use. They work scientifically to classify, sort and describe a variety of materials before making their own house out of recycling.
In the Spring Term, in D&T, children design a simple product, such as a bucket, that could carry water in their Mini-Mission, 'London's Burning'. To find out more about this topic, go to our History page on the Curriculum tab at the top.
In the Summer Term, the Year 1 children use a ‘pop-up’ mechanism to create a toy in their mission, 'Far Far Away'. The children follow the Research, Design, Make and Evaluate process to create their toy.
Year 2
In the Autumn Term, Year 2 focus on healthy eating in their topic 'Happy, Healthy Me'. During this Mission, the children consider the different food groups and what makes an appropriate meal.
After this, the children research, design, make and evaluate shelters in their Mini-Mission 'Castaway'.
In the Spring Term, the children begin their DT learning with the Mini-Mission, 'Location, Location'. In this topic, Year 2 look at the structure of houses and design their own out of materials and joining methods of their own choice.
After this, the children study the Titanic in their topic, 'Unsinkable'. In D&T, children design and make a replica of the Titanic, drawing on its key features. To find out about this topic, visit our History page on the Curriculum tab at the top.
In Summer Term, Year 2 learn about mechanisms in their Mini-Mission named 'No Place Like Home'. The children explore homes over time in their local area. and compare a range of houses, looking for similarities and differences. In D&T, children use mechanisms to make a household object eg pulley.
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Year 3
In Autumn Term, Year 3's Mini-Mission is 'Rattle My Bones'. Children learn about the function of the skeleton and muscles. In D&T, children create a moving skeleton to be used as an educational tool. To do this, they experiment with various materials and joining options to find the best choice to make the best product possible.
In Spring Term, Year 3 learn about food in their Mini-Mission, 'Flying Food Airways'. During this topic, the Year 3's learn about seasonal fruit and design a fruit salad that's designed to taste the best in Winter.
Year 4
In Autumn Term, Year 4 place a focus on Art before starting their DT learning in the Spring Term. After Christmas, Year 4's first DT Mini-Mission is called, 'Who Pays the Price?' where the children design a product that reuses plastic and/or a water filter for a developing country. After this, their next DT Mini-Mission is 'It's Showtime!' where children become the production team for a pop/rock band where they are putting on a concert. They need to know all about sound and electricity, eg how each instrument works, how the lighting works, in order to put on a show.
In Summer Term, the Year 4 children use electrical circuits to create their own invention in their topic, 'Eureka!'. Here, the children take a longer design process after researching, in order to make the best product possible. After this, they evaluate what they have made.
Year 5
In Autumn Term, Year 5 focus on natural disasters (earthquakes and volcanoes) and where/why these occur in the world. This topic is called 'Wild, Wild World'. In D&T, children research structure of earthquake-proof buildings and use this to design a prototype. After this, Year 5's Mini-Mission is called, 'Out of the World'. Here, the children explore the solar system. They might use the stimulus of the film, Despicable Me. Gru informs the children that he has ‘stolen’ all of the planets and in order to win them back, they must answer a series of challenges. In D&T, children create a 3D model of the solar system using a range of mechanical devices for movement.
In Spring Term, Year 5's 'Revolutionary Recipes' topic focuses on the properties of and changes to materials, with a particular focus on reversible and irreversible changes in cooking. In DT, they will make a food from scratch, following a precise recipe. To evaluate their final product, they will taste test their creations and rate them, thinking about how they would improve them if they did it again.
In the Summer Term, Year 5 have two DT-based Mini-Missions. Their first topic is called, 'Great Britain, Great Britons' where children find out about well-known and influential Britons in the world of art, design and craft. This encompasses people from past/present who work with any given medium eg textiles, paint, clay, digital media and architects. Using a range of digital literacy skills, children research at least one artist/designer and compile a biography about them. After this, their Mission is named, 'Magical Mystery Tour' where children use understanding of electrical and mechanical systems to make a souvenir.
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