Wheldon Infant School & Nursery

Design and Technology

 

It is the aim of Wheldon Infant School and Nursery to provide children with a rich and enjoyable experience of Design and Technology, in which they can acquire and develop their own designing and making skills. Design and Technology should provide children with a real-life context for learning. At Wheldon Infant School and Nursery we want to allow children to aspire to be more through creating opportunities for them in the wider world. Through the Design and Technology curriculum, children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose. Design and Technology prepares children to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. It encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team.   Our objective is to ensure that there is progression of Design and Technology skills across the school which enables children to develop and practice their skills.

DT Whole School Overview

This document shows how DT is taught in our school from Nursery to Year 2.

DT in the Early Year Foundation Stage

(EYFS)

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, design and technology forms part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World' branch of the Foundation Stage curriculum, which also covers geography, history, ICT, and science.

Your child will learn through first-hand experiences. They will be encouraged to explore, observe, solve problems, think critically, make decisions and to talk about why they have made their decisions.

DT in Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1 DT helps to teach Maths and English and indeed other compulsory subjects from the curriculum in a fun manner, putting these subjects into context making them easier to digest and more understandable to younger primary age pupils.

DT gives children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. 

All maintained primary schools in England are required to follow the National Curriculum, which includes Design and Technology as a compulsory subject at Key Stages 1 and 2, with statutory Programmes of Study.

Nursery Gallery

Reception Gallery

Year 1 Gallery

Year 2/1 Gallery

Year 2 Gallery

Useful Documentation

Name
 Subject document - DT.pdfDownload
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How can I support my child with DT?

Encourage your child to try out these activities to improve their DT skills:

  • Get your child to sort objects by different criteria. You could do this by getting them to help to set the table or organise shopping items to be put away.
  • When talking to your child, look for opportunities to notice and discuss materials around them – utensils in the kitchen, tree barks on a walk, soft furnishings in the bedroom.
  • While speaking, use the language of designing and making, for example words such as ‘join', ‘build' and ‘shape'. And use evaluative and comparative language – ‘longer', ‘shorter', ‘lighter', ‘heavier' and ‘stronger'.
  • Encourage and support the use of a range of tools, such as scissors, hole punch, stapler, glue spreader, rolling pin, cutter and grater

Useful links

https://www.twinkl.es/blog/back-to-school-ten-free-design-technology-activities-and-ideas-for-parents

Design and make models

Age range: EYFS
What you do: Explain to your child that they are going to build a house using boxes and other materials. First though, they need to design the house. Explain that before a house can be built, an architect has to draw what is to be built. They are to be architects! Let them draw the house then build their design. (If they’re using cereal boxes, turn them inside out if they want to paint them, that way the paint will stick.) Afterwards ask them what they like or dislike about the end result.
They're learning about... Drawing and making models and reflecting on their work.
At school they might… Do model building as part of free play time. (Early Years classes need to be stocked up with materials to use for modelling, so keep cardboard packaging and offer it to the class teacher!) As part of D&T they will experiment with different textures and shapes and try combining different materials.

Make a money box

Age range: EYFS and KS1
What you do: You’ll need a box or can which you can make a slot in at the top for the money to go in. Together, decide how to create a flap through which the money box can be opened. Your child can then choose from paints, collage materials, pastels, etc. to decorate their money box.
They're learning about...
 Collecting, assembling and combining materials.

At school they might… Make other forms of packaging (for example, lots of schools have children design and make a bag).

'Cook' granola yoghurt pots

Age range: KS1
What you do: Choose a recipe to use – there are lots online. Prior to cooking discuss what your child needs to do (tie long hair back, wash hands, put on an apron). Then talk about what you’re going to make, explaining why it's a healthy choice for breakfast or dessert. Look through the recipe together, modelling the reading carefully for your child before you follow each instruction. Afterwards discuss what cooking skills they’ve used (stirring, squishing, breaking, greasing, etc.). Eat, enjoy and discuss what has worked or not in the recipe, or what changes you might make to personalise it for your family.
They're learning about... Food hygiene, cooking skills.
At school they might… Do other cooking projects like baking cakes. Often cooking will be linked in with other topic work, such as Easter cakes or vegetable soup for Harvest Festival.