Design and Technology at Farnborough Grange

Intent

At Farnborough Grange, we intend to deliver a creative and inspiring DT curriculum embedded within our cross-curricular learning enquiries. We will give children time to explore existing products and materials whilst giving them time to apply new skills.  They will then use their imagination, learning in other curriculum subjects and knew found knowledge to design and make products that are purposeful to their learning.

Through the making process the children will learn how to take risks and become resourceful and innovative citizens in the future. Learning how to evaluate their product design will also enable them to think critically and consider ways that they can make improvements when faced with a similar project in the future.

Implementation

At Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant School we implement this by using the National Curriculum guidance teamed with our own creative planning to enable the children to enjoy a curriculum rich with lots of opportunities to develop and use their design skills. 

In Reception children are introduced to DT by designing and making a range of products that have a function and are visually appealing. They will be taught to safely use tools and equipment to create a woven textile from natural materials, a delicious pancake, a floating structure and a mechanism using a split pin and card. These projects will allow the children to gain a basic understanding of how materials behave when they are manipulated by tools and equipment. At all stages of the projects the children will be encouraged to evaluate the aesthetic and practical decisions they have made to create their products.

In Year One, the children revisit and build on the skills and knowledge they have gained to produce a more sophisticated range of products. They will design and make a textile finger puppet, a chocolate cupcake, a structure that can withstand force and a moving card mechanism. These projects will challenge the children to be more critical of their design decisions and to use a higher degree of skill to obtain a functional and pleasing result. Year One children will also be encouraged to transfer skills from other subjects such as Maths for weighing and measuring and Art for accurate drawing of plans.

In Year Two children are introduced to other aspects of DT with an upcycling textile project where they will discuss climate change and by making a Challah bread as an introduction to the Jewish culture. The materials and mechanism challenge takes the form of a moving Safari buggy in which children have to consider a dynamic structure and use tools with precision and skill. At this stage, children will work together, sharing materials, evaluating plans and making modifications when necessary. This challenging curriculum transfers skills from Maths and Science and creates products that the children can be very proud of.