Design and Technology

Proud to be... Forever Riverside!

At Rochester Riverside, our Design and Technology learning is driven by our school vision. Everything we teach is aimed to help our children prosper by understanding and exploring two key concepts: "Who are we?" and "How do we live?"

We are creators, we are designers, we are problem solvers, we are critical thinkers...we are Riversiders!

Intent

At Riverside, our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to prepare children for the developing world and provide them with a real-life context for their learning. We believe Design and Technology helps develop creative, technical and practical skills and knowledge in design and allows children to see the world from a different standpoint. We aim to provide a learning environment where children feel secure to become innovators and creative risk-taking and problem solving is encouraged, both as individuals and part of a team. 

Through the study of Design and Technology, we want our children to be inspired to become engineers, designers, chefs and architects. Therefore we enable them to combine practical skills in design, structures, mechanisms, textiles and food products with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. Our children are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise throughout their Design and Technology learning journey.

Implementation

Lessons at Riverside are planned carefully in line with the National Curriculum and our self-developed ‘Pilgrim Progress’ assessment procedures to provide support for staff and pupils to monitor their progress against the gaining of key skills and knowledge. This important spine allows us to plan a clear cycle of topics and learning. This begins with safely using and exploring a variety of materials, tools and techniques in EYFS, to a complex understanding of the DT process in KS1 and KS2. The foundation to a successful education lies in the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge.

All teaching of Design and Technology follows the design, make and evaluate cycle and each design process is rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. Teachers create a positive attitude to learning and reinforce the expectation that all pupils are capable of high standards in their designs and products Through the teaching of Design and Technology our pupils acquire a broad range of technical knowledge and vocabulary whilst also drawing on disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Computing and Art.

Our pupils use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing and fit-for-purpose products. Planning should be through appropriate formats eg annotated sketches, patterns/templates, communicating ideas verbally and prototypes/’mock-ups’. While making, children will be given a wide range of tools, materials and components including textiles, construction equipment and ingredients to choose freely from. They build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to make high-quality prototypes and products for a range of users. At the end of the design process, they will evaluate own products against a design criteria. When additional needs are identified, we support all children to access learning and challenge individuals to deepen their understanding.

Design and Technology in the Early Years