Intent
At Senacre Wood Primary School, we recognise that design technology provides pupils with a breadth of knowledge and problem solving skills that will support them in their future and we strive for all our pupils to be resilient and independent designers. Using the national curriculum for design and technology, we aim to ensure that all pupils:
- Apply their creativity and problem solving skills during lessons.
- Build on prior knowledge when designing, creating and evaluating their design and technology learning.
- Make links, and apply knowledge, between design and technology and other subjects, such as mathematics, science and art.
- Use vocabulary related to design and technology, in order to communicate, explain and ask questions.
- Feel confident to take risks, and make mistakes in their learning.
Our design and technology curriculum is designed to support our schools values: curiosity, independence, innovation, reflection, resilience, and collaboration. At Senacre Wood Primary School, the pupils enjoy their design and technology lessons, whilst building on a wide range of core skills and values. Across the school, the pupils complete design and technology lessons that are linked to enquiry units.
AUTUMN TERM
Our newest pupils in Oak class explore a range of materials which they are able to access during their child-initiated time. In term 2, they helped Mrs Austin with making the class playdough. We followed a basic recipe and watched the ingredients combine into a squidgy dough!
As we get closer to Christmas, Year 3 are applying their textiles skills by designing and making Christmas stockings with Mrs Clarkson. The design criteria are very specific - be strong, be secure and have a hole in for the presents! Rowan class had to be innovative and creative when thinking of festive designs and decorations for their stockings. Read on to find out what Mrs Clarkson and the pupils made of their DT unit.
This term we have been developing our skills of sewing by designing and making Christmas stockings. We started off the term by researching stockings and thinking about the success criteria that we’d need to use to make the finished product. After that we designed our own stockings.
Once our designs were complete, we used templates to draw and cut out the pieces to make the stocking. We sewed them together using running stitch and added our own design to the stocking, as well as snow at the top. We added sequins to our stockings.
Finally, we looked back at the success criteria and discussed whether we had remembered to use them. Everyone was very impressed with our finished work.
In Maple class, the pupils have been learning about the Victorian era. In their DT lessons, the children learnt about different mechanisms, including cams and levers. The toys had to be functional and aesthetically pleasing to a Victorian child!
Winter Term
This term kicked off with STEM week, and the pupils across the school had to think innovatively about what they could invent. In Oak class, most of the children were thinking about what they would invent for a zoo, for example, such as a 'pooper scooper robot' which is in Poo in the Zoo! Inventions included a jetpack that sprays out food, and a flying machine that prepares food for koala bears!
Senacre Wood Primary enjoyed being inventors, and we are looking forward to sending off our designs to some real-life engineers!
In these next few terms, DT will consist of making castles in Year 2, cooking in Year 3 and 6 and making electrical torches in Year 4!