DT Implementation

At Arbury Primary School we base our units of work on the Design Technology Association’s ‘Projects on a Page’.  We split the terms between D&T and Art, with subjects alternating each half term as the subjects fit into the wider curriculum.  We ensure that  we follow a well thought out, whole school, yearly overview of the DT curriculum which allows for progression across Key Stages in all areas of DT (textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems).  Each unit of work is centred around four stages: investigating, designing, making and evaluating.  This ensures a balance of practical and theory based (investigative) learning which supports the understanding and development of design.  The children take part in a range of engaging practical opportunities with a variety of tools and materials which enhance the creativity and imagination of pupils.  We invest in high quality materials and tools to ensure that DT is a well-resources and valued part of our school curriculum.

The grid below shows the units of work covered by each year group and, where appropriate, the links of each unit to the wider curriculum:

 

 

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Year 1

Structure:

Playground for Toys (Linked to History topic on toys through time)

Cooking and nutrition:

Fruit tasting/fruit kebabs (Linked to Science unit: Plants)

Mechanical systems (sliders and levers):

Pop up cards (Linked to History topic: Explorers)

Year 2

Mechanical systems (wheels and axles):

Fire engines (Linked to History topic on The Great Fire of London)

Textiles:

Chick finger puppets (Linked to Science unit: Animals and their Habitats)

Cooking and nutrition:

Salad (Linked to Science unit: Plants)

Year 3

Textiles:

Stone Age foraging bags (Linked to History topic: Stone Age to Iron Age)

Cooking and nutrition:

Sandwiches

Structures and shell materials:

Wooden picture frame 

Year 4

Cooking and nutrition:

Making soup

Mechanical systems (linkages and levers):

Pop-up book pages (Linked to History topic: Ancient Egypt)

Electrical systems:

Buzzer games (Linked to Science unit: Electricity)

 

Year 5

Cooking and nutrition:

Making bread

 

Electrical and mechanical systems:

Roundabouts (Links: Forces)

Structures:

Shelters

Year 6

Cooking and nutrition:

Making chilli (Linked to History topic: The Maya)

 

Textiles:

Making slippers