Overview - Primary D&T

Design and Technology offers opportunities for children to:

• develop their designing and making skills
• develop knowledge and understanding
• Combining these to develop their capability to create functional products
• Nurture creativity and innovation through designing and making
• Explore the designed and made world and how we live and work within it
• Develop an understanding of design and technological processes and their contribution to our society

In Design and Technology, children acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of:

• Materials and components
• Mechanisms and control systems
• Structures
• Existing products
• Quality
• Health and Safety

In addition they can apply skills in the following areas:

• science - such as knowledge about the properties of materials
• mathematics - for example measuring accurately
• information and communication technology - for example, making things happen by the use of computer control
• art and design – such as in the use of finishing techniques

Early Years Foundation Stage Framework - England 2012

How does D&T fit in to the new statutory framework?

• The new framework clearly identifies and strengthens the role of design and technology;
• D&T is specifically named in the area of learning ‘Expressive Arts and Design’;
• D&T makes an important contribution to children’s development in all seven areas of learning.

When designing and making products children should be thinking about:

• User e.g. a coat for Teddy, a new cloak for Little Red Riding Hood.
• Purpose e.g. fruit drinks or sandwiches for a party.
• Function e.g. a construction kit wall strong and stable enough for Humpty.
• Aesthetics e.g. decoration used on a simple textiles bag, for example an overnight bag for one of the three pigs.

Primary National Curriculum – England 1999

All maintained primary schools in England are required to follow the National Curriculum which includes Design and Technology as a compulsory subject at Key Stages 1 and 2. Design and Technology in primary schools will continue in the new National Curriculum. This means the subject will continue to be compulsory and will have new statutory programmes of study in Key Stages 1 and 2, due to be introduced from September 2014. Until then the current National Curriculum programmes of study for Key Stages 1 and 2 (1999) remain in force.

Foundation Phase – Wales 2008

Designing and making skills should be developed through the statutory Foundation Phase, including stimulating and creative making opportunities across all areas of learning. Children’s progression in design and technology capability should be observed in the context of child development and the stages children move through.

National Curriculum at KS2 – Wales 2008

In Wales, maintained primary schools are required to follow the Design and Technology National Curriculum at Key Stage 2. Children should be given opportunities to build on their experiences during the Foundation Phase. They should be taught to design and make products by combining their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in contexts that support their work in other subjects and help develop their understanding of the made world.

Supporting materials

To support teaching in primary schools, the Design and Technology Association has updated and added to the units of work produced by QCA and produced Creative Curriculum posters.

In addition, members may download a range of over 70 new and adapted units of work from the Primary website.