At Sarisbury, Design and Technology is a practical and creative subject taught through cross curricular topics. We believe that our children are natural investigators, inventors and makers. We encourage their creativity and imagination to create simple products and promote the enjoyment and challenge in solving problems.

Children will have the opportunity to engage in the process of designing and making, acquire the skills to make products as well as evaluate and test their ideas. The children’s ‘final product’ is always personalised to them. Additionally, they will develop the life skills and gain knowledge associated with healthy living, food nutrition and cookery.

Harri Heart helps us keep safe in DT by ensuring that we are taught the skills of using the tools correctly when we are making our products. In Food Technology, Harri also teaches us about hygiene, how to keep ourselves safe around the oven and also how to use the equipment safely such as graters, peelers and grab claws to avoid injuries. 

Design and Technology allows children to explore the designed and human made word that they live in and teaches them the practical skills and techniques to make a design come to life.

Following the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, Design and Technology skills are incorporated into focused opportunities within the following areas of learning:

• Expressive Arts and Design
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development (Moving and Handling)
• Mathematics (Shape, Space and Measure)
• Understanding of the World

Following the National Curriculum for Design and Technology, there are five areas which the children will learn a variety of skills and techniques. These areas are:

1. Cooking and Nutrition:

• understand where food comes from
• use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes

2. Design:

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, Computing

3. Make:

• select from and use a range of tools and equipment
• use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients

4. Evaluate:

• explore and evaluate a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

5. Technical knowledge:

• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
• explore and use mechanisms, such as levers, sliders, wheels or axles within their products

Below is our progression of skills which we follow across the school to ensure children are continuing to develop their learning and skills.

Below is an overview to show the learning in the individual year groups.

Click on the websites below to access free resources, activities and games to use with your child at home.