Design and Technology

At Stonehill School, we intend to build a Design & Technology curriculum which is inspiring, rigorous, and practical. We want our children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems, within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Children will also learn life skills, for example cookery, where they will learn about food preparation and cooking, with practical lessons, and will make and taste a variety of nutritious meals. They will also learn to sew.

We intend for all children to acquire appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. It is our aim to create strong cross-curricular links with other subjects, such as Mathematics, Science, Computing, and Art. We want Design & Technology to prepare our children and to give them the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences they need to be successful in later life.

Our aim is to ensure children:

Understand what a healthy diet is and how to prepare simple meals.
Have opportunities to design and make simple products to solve practical problems.
Have the knowledge and skills to access further employment opportunities linked to Design and Technology.

At Stonehill School we aim to teach Design & Technology through exciting, practical lessons, to inspire children to become the designers of the future.

We intend to do this by:

Ensuring our children have access to a high quality Design & Technology curriculum that clearly covers all aspects of the National Curriculum.
Providing rich design experiences, using a variety of different materials.
Ensuring children are confident to try new practical learning experiences and are not afraid to ask for support, while doing tasks.
Fully developing independent learners with inventive minds and the practical skills needed for life.

Autumn Term: Design & Technology Topics

Year 1: 'Shade & Shelter'	This project is linked to ‘Childhood’ This project teaches children about the purpose of shelters and their materials. They name and describe shelters and design and make shelter prototypes. Children then design and build a play den as a group and evaluate their completed product.
Year 2: 'Remarkable Recipes'	This project is linked to ‘Movers and Shakers’ This project teaches children about sources of food and tools used for food preparation. They also discover why some foods are cooked and learn to read a simple recipe. The children choose and make a new school meal that fulfils specific design criteria.
Year 3: 'Cook Well Eatwell'	This project is linked to ‘Through the Ages’ This project teaches children about food groups and the Eatwell guide. They learn about methods of cooking and explore these by cooking potatoes and ratatouille. The children choose and make a taco filling according to specific design criteria.
Year 4: 'Fresh Food, Good Food'	This project is linked to ‘Invasion’ This project teaches children about food decay and preservation. They discover key inventions in food preservation and packaging, then make examples. The children prepare, package and evaluate a healthy snack.
Year 5: 'Moving Mechanisms'	This project is linked to ‘Dynamic Dynasties’ This project teaches children about pneumatic systems. They experiment with pneumatics before designing, making and evaluating a pneumatic machine that performs a useful function.
Year 6: 'Food for Life'	This project is linked to ‘Maafa’ This project teaches children about processed food and healthy food choices. They make bread and pasta sauces and learn about the benefits of whole foods. They plan and make meals as part of a healthy daily menu, and evaluate their completed products.

Spring Term: Design & Technology Topics

Year 1: 'Taxi'	This project teaches children about wheels, axles and chassis and how they work together to make a vehicle move.
Year 2: 'Beach Hut'	This project teaches children about making and strengthening structures, including different ways of joining materials.
Year 3: 'Making it Move'	This project teaches children about cam mechanisms. They experiment with different shaped cams before designing, making and evaluating a child's automaton toy.
Year 4: 'Functional & Fancy Fabrics'	This project teaches children about home furnishings and the significant designer William Morris. They learn techniques for decorating fabric, including block printing, hemming and embroidery and use them to design and make a fabric sample.
Year 5: 'Eat the Seasons'	This project teaches children about the meaning and benefits of seasonal eating, including food preparation and cooking techniques.
Year 6: 'Engineer'	This project teaches children about remarkable engineers and significant bridges, learning to identify features, such as beams, arches and trusses. They complete a bridge-building engineering challenge to create a bridge prototype.

Summer Term: Design & Technology Topics

Year 1: 'Chop, Slice & Mash'	This project teaches children about sources of food and the preparatory skills of peeling, tearing, slicing, chopping, mashing and grating. They use this knowledge and techniques to design and make a supermarket sandwich according to specific design criteria.
Year 2: 'Cut, Stitch & Join'	This project teaches children about fabric home products and the significant British brand Cath Kidston. They learn about sewing patterns and using a running stitch and embellishments before making a sewn bag tag.
Year 3: 'Greenhouse'	This project teaches children about the purpose, structure and design features of greenhouses, and compares the work of two significant greenhouse designers. They learn techniques to strengthen structures and use tools safely. They use their learning to design and construct a mini greenhouse.
Year 4: 'Tomb Builders'	This project teaches children about simple machines, including wheels, axles, inclined planes, pulleys and levers, exploring how they helped ancient builders to lift and move heavy loads.
Year 5: 'Architecture'	This project teaches children about how architectural style and technology has developed over time and then use this knowledge to design a building with specific features.
Year 6: 'Make Do & Mend'	This project teaches children a range of simple sewing stitches, including ways of recycling and repurposing old clothes and materials.