Design and Technology

At Whitehall Nursery and Infant School we intend to teach Design and Technology in a way that all children can participate successfully to empower them for an increasingly technological world. Throughout their time at Whitehall our children will develop a range of expertise including creative, technical and practical to enable them to confidently perform everyday tasks. We want our children to use their broad knowledge, skills and understanding to design, and then make, high quality prototypes and products for a range of purposes and consumers. As learners we will teach them how to reflect on their own creations and those of others using simple, focused critiques and evaluation. We will provide our children with purposeful skills such as learning how to cook simple recipes while understanding and applying the principles of nutrition. In our Foundation Stage, we provide opportunities for children to develop their natural curiosity and interest in the world by talking, asking questions, and investigating products that are familiar. Children will be given the opportunity to use a range of small tools safely and be able to share their creations with others.

Our Design and Technology curriculum is built around necessary knowledge, understanding and key skills. The curriculum is broken down between year groups and there are clear expectations for the skills taught within the cornerstones projects. All of our Design and Technology projects follow the ‘design, make and evaluate’ cycle. The design process should be relevant in context, to give meaning to learning. While making, children should be given choice and a range of tools to choose from freely. When evaluating, children should be able to evaluate their own products against a design criteria. Each of these steps should be rooted in technical knowledge and vocabulary. Within Key Stage One, Design Technology projects are taught with cross curricular links to other subjects such as English, Science and Art. We believe Design and Technology provides a natural opportunity for children to practice and improve basic skills such as spoken language, English and Mathematics. In our projects we aim to provide learning opportunities for developing key skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, negotiation and organisation. Through evaluating the process and their final products children will be encouraged to improve their own learning and performance. Children are then able to develop and apply knowledge and skills from Art and Design, Science, Computing and English in Design and Technology. Teachers will make links wherever possible to help raise standards in both subjects and enhance children’s learning.

At Whitehall Nursery and Infants we believe that teaching pupils in practical and creative lessons about how to design, make and evaluate products, will help to prepare them for Key Stage 2 and set the early foundations for life after school. We are teaching life-long skills of how to craft and make products for themselves and also important skills in how to cook a balanced, healthy diet. Children are given the opportunities to take risks and problem solve, either independently or within a team which promotes resilience and perseverance. We believe that if taught well, children who receive a high quality Design and Technology education will then be able to make an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being in their communities as they grow into adults.