Design and Technology

Design Technology Curriculum Intent

At Muscliff Primary it is our intent through our progressive Design and Technology curriculum to provide children with a real-life context for learning. Children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose.  We chose designers that we have been inspired by to spark the children’s imagination for their learning. E.g Year six Look at Steve Jobs and the impact he had on phone design.

Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. It can be found in many of the objects children use each day and is a part of children’s immediate experiences. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team.

Children’s interests are captured through themed learning, ensuring that links are made in a cross curricular way, giving children motivation and meaning for their learning.  it allows children to apply the knowledge and skills learned in other subjects, particularly English, Maths, Science and Art to their Designs. For example in Year 1 In English we read The Little Red Hen, we investigate the lifecycle of chickens (Science) and alongside this we evaluate, investigate, design and test our own egg carriers (DT & Maths).

Children are encouraged to think like a product controller (to assess both current market products and their own), a designer (to create a product), an engineer (to build a product), and a chef (assessing health and dietary needs).  These vital skills for their future encourage children to become innovators and risk takers and will allow them to contribute fully to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of society.