Gledhow Primary School Design and Technology Policy
Section 1
Rationale
Design and Technology contributes to the school curriculum by preparing all young
children to participate in a rapidly changing technological world. Pupils learn to
become creative problem solvers, both as individuals and working collaboratively
with others. Design Technology is about the practical application of knowledge and
skills in order to understand how to make things work and how to manufacture them.
Section 2
Aims
 To provide children with the opportunities to develop independence and cooperation
 To help children develop critical awareness of products they choose, use,
consume and wear.
 To provide children with practical skills to work safely with a range of tools,
techniques and equipment.
 To provide children with knowledge and understanding to develop practical
problem solving skills.
 To celebrate cultural diversity through the evaluation of products from
different cultures.
 To develop children’s ability to communicate their ideas and opinions in a
creative and constructive way.
Objectives
We intend to achieve these through providing opportunities for children to:
 Know and understand how designers and technologists work and to relate their
own work to the real world
 Participate in designing and making products that have clear purpose and
relevance
 Evaluate and disassemble (where appropriate) products in order to inform their
own designing and making
 Practise skills using a range of tools, materials and equipment
 Visualise what they might make before recording their ideas in some form
 Plan their work, produce drawings and mock ups appropriate to age and ability
Progression
In Foundation Stage the children will have opportunities to learn simple cutting,
joining techniques, explore movement through the use of construction kits and talk
about how products are made. Designing and making are combined at this stage.
In Key Stage 1 and 2 each unit of work is designed to build upon another. Children
will design and make products using a range of materials and skills. Continuous
assessment and monitoring will ensure progression in the following areas:
Designing skills
Recording skills
Evaluation skills
Planning and making skills
Knowledge and use of appropriate language
Safe and appropriate use of tools and mechanisms
Knowledge of mechanisms and structures
Developing creativity, problem solving and imagination
Increasing responsibility for health and safety
Section 3
Planning
Foundation Stage
Early years children experiment in the workshop area and construction area. All areas
are self-servicing and the children select their own tools and materials and experiment
with them.
Food technology activities are carried out weekly to fit in with the topic or focus
activity. Children experience baking, tasting and making fruit salad, soup and bread.
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
Cutting and sticking
Cutting and sticking skills, clay and dough modelling,
using different fixings and introducing a range of
junk modelling for more
tools, model making using different ways of fixing
specific tasks
junk and children’s own
materials e.g. sellotape
designs, using a range of
paper clips e.t.c.
construction materials with experimenting joining
large and small bricks
different materials
together, dressing doll
shapes with different
materials suitable for
different seasons, box
models, pizza designs,
hand puppets, mask
making
Reception
Food technology activities are carried out weekly to develop skills that the children
acquire in nursery. These are related to the weeks focus activity.
Autumn Term
Spring Term
Summer Term
Cutting Skills
Developing Autumn Term Developing previous
Joining skills,3.D
skills with more direct
skills, looking at
modelling with junk and
focus and emphasis on
mechanisms, joints and
construction kits, clay and individual methods of
moving parts, more
dough work, sewing with
recording
detailed recording
punched card and fabric
encouraging labels and
captions,
Year 1
Autumn Term
Q.C.A. Unit 1D
Homes
(structures)
Spring Term 1
Q.C.A. Unit
Moving Pictures
(mechanisms)
Spring Term 2
Q.C.A. Unit 1C
Fruit an Vegetables
(food technology)
Spring Term 2
Q.C.A. Unit 2B
Puppets
(textiles)
Summer Term 2
Q.C.A. Unit 2A
Vehicles
(mechanisms)
Spring Term 2
Q.C.A. Unit 4E
Lighting it Up
(electricity and structures)
Summer Term 1
Q.C.A. Unit 5D
Tea and Biscuits
(Food technology)
Summer Term 1
Bread
(food technology)
Summer Term 2
Q.C.A.
Money Containers/pencil
cases ( textiles )
Autumn Term 2
Summer Term 1
Summer Term 2
Vegetable Soup
( food technology )
Soft Toys
( textiles )
Q.C.A. Unit
Making Musical
Instruments
Year 6
Spring Term 1
Greek Temples
( structures )
Summer Term 1
Caribbean Cocktail
( food technology )
Summer Term 2
Slippers
(textiles)
Year 2
Autumn Term 2
Q.C.A. Unit 3B
Sandwich Snacks
(food technology)
Year 3
Autumn Term 2
Q.C.A Unit 4B
Storybooks
(mechanisms)
Year 4
Spring Term 1
Q.C.A. 3C
Moving Monsters
(mechanisms)
Year 5
Cross curricular Links
The units have been chosen so techniques are developed throughout school. Most
units are based on Q.C.A. units. However we have adapted some units and developed
some units so they are more closely linked to topics being taught in other subjects.
e.g. Year 3 Tea and Biscuits links to the Chembokolli study in Geography
Other cross-curricular links include:Numeracy– 3.D. shapes and use of nets in Foundation Stage, Y2 Vehicles
Using measures and scales
Literacy- Reading and writing instructions e.g. Y2 puppets and Y5 soup, Y6 cocktails
Science- Characteristics and properties of materials, forces and energy, conducting a
fair test when user testing a product
Art- shape, line, colour, texture, form and finishing techniques
I.C.T. –control, research presentation
History- Investigating how and why products have changed over time and how
s
Changes have affected people’s lives
Geography- Origin of product
Section 4
Classroom Organisation and Teaching Approaches
The organisation of our classrooms provides opportunities for whole class teaching,
group work and individual work. There are areas for children to work safely under
supervision. Resources are kept in year groups with extra resources kept by the D.T.
co-ordinator. Books to support teacher planning are either kept in the appropriate year
groups or centrally with the D.T. co-ordinator.
Display
Children’s work should be displayed in a variety of ways which show the whole
designing and making process rather than just the finished product. Displays should
be interactive where pupils can observe and handle every day products including
teacher made exemplars. e.g. pop-up mechanisms. Displays should sometimes
provide stimuli to help children generate ideas. Displays should reinforce the
emphasis on creating quality products.
Special Needs
To ensure that all children are given the same opportunities tasks will be
differentiated to suit the individual needs. Differentiation may be by outcome, the
level of support given or the resources provided e.g. templates. Success criteria for the
finished product may be reduced or modified. There may be less time spent on
planning and designing and more stimuli provided in terms of possible solutions.
Equal Opportunities
The teaching of design and technology should reflect the school’s aims of providing
opportunities to all pupils regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability social status or
level of attainment. All children will be given the opportunity to use the full range of
resources available in the school. Children will be encouraged to discuss any stereo
typing that becomes apparent through any aspect of designing and making.
Health and Safety
Teachers will always teach the safe use of tools and equipment and insist on good
practice. Children will be taught to return tools to the correct place when not in use.
Food will be brought into school on the day when it is needed. Perishable items will
be stored in a fridge. Food preparation will be encouraged to occur in designated
places. E.g. The kitchen area in Nursery and Foundation or the annex kitchen. If food
preparation occurs in a classroom all surfaces will be wiped down with Milton’s or
Ditto
Plastic or paper covers will be used on surfaces. Children and staff will wear clean
aprons. (Preferably wipe down plastic). Non-teaching staff will be made aware of
health and safety procedures. There are various members of staff qualified in first aid.
Health and safety will be reviewed in the light of any new national or local guidelines
as they are issued.
Section 5
Assessment, Recording and record keeping
Success criteria for the finished products will be discussed with the children at the
start of the units. Marking of the children’s work will be subject specific and related
to the learning objectives and the discussed success criteria. Teachers will assess the
children through their written work, plans, drawings and discussion of their finished
products. Assessments will be used to inform future planning and will be the basis of
reports to parents.
Staff will review units on their completion and will adapt units if any changes need to
be made in consultation with the D.T. co-ordinator.
Children’s work will be assessed and their levels entered on the pupil tracking grids.
Review Date
Reviewer
Staff Meeting
Governors ratified Uploaded to
Review Date
Date
MySchools
Sept 2012
S Hilton
Oct 2012
Oct 2013