Rationale

At Old Town Infant School and Nursery, Design and Technology (DT) involves applying knowledge and skills when designing and making.  Design Technology is a foundation subject and the children of Old Town are provided with opportunities that are inspiring and creative from this it encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers as individuals and part of a team. Children are provided with opportunities to design, make and evaluate this is developed through their time at Old Town.  

EYFS – Expressive Art and Design

EYFS Statutory Educational Programme: The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Our curriculum work reflects the National Curriculum requirements for Design and Technology:

Key Stage 1

Design

- Design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria

-Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology

Make

-Select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]

Select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Evaluate

-Explore and evaluate a range of existing products. Evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

Technical knowledge

-Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products.