Design and Technology
Build designers of the future who can critique, evaluate and test with product users in mind.
- To nurture creativity and innovation through designing and making, drawing on influential designs and designers from the past and present.
- For children to develop a creative mind, flourish the imagination and to design and make products within a variety of contexts.
- To inspire our children and staff through innovative design, allowing our young designers to develop a sense of enjoyment and pride in their ability to make.
How we teach Design and Technology
Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, our children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering both their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art.
At Marlborough, all strands of our DT curriculum follow the design, make and evaluate cycle:
Design
Rooted in real-life, relevant contexts, our children design products with a purpose and an intended user of the products in mind. They use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of products that are innovative, functional, appealing and fit-for-purpose.
Make
Our children are given the opportunity to explore and master a wide range of tools, materials, and components. From whisks and scales to sewing needles and binca, they embark on a journey of creativity and problem-solving. Through hands-on activities, they learn to measure and mix, stitch and cut, join and fold, program components and create circuits. By engaging in these experiences, our children develop practical skills, cultivate curiosity and foster innovation, empowering them to transform their ideas into reality.
Evaluate
Children at Marlborough learn to critique, evaluate and test their own ideas and products, as well as the work of others. They investigate and analyse a range of existing products to understand how individuals and key events have shaped design and technology globally. Additionally, they learn to evaluate their work against design criteria and consider the views of others in order to improve their work.
Our curriculum has a clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary, taking our children through textiles, structures, electrical and mechanical systems, digital world and cooking and nutrition. These DT strands not only excite and inspire, but equip our children with skills for life.
As they progress
As they progress through each year group the children will retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learnt and what they are currently learning. They will know more and understand more about design and technology. Through DT, our children improve their analytical skills, problem solving, practical capability and evaluation skills.
By the time the children leave our school they will:
- have a growing interest in the design process.
- use subject-specific vocabulary.
- develop the ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others
- show initiative and ask questions to develop a detailed knowledge of users’ needs through research.
- act as responsible designers and makers, using a range of materials and working safely
- know which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.
- be able to manage risks, be resourceful, innovative and enterprising to manufacture products safely and hygienically.
In line with our core value of Aspiration, we want children to understand the place that design holds in our society. Our curriculum provides opportunity for our classes to design for a purpose and it is important for them to see how designers work and create products that go on to be something that they see in the world around them.
Enrichment
In November 2022, our KS2 children entered a competition run by Chelsea Barracks to design a Christmas tree topper, following a design brief that had to withstand winter weather and allowed it to be solid enough to be 3D printed. Not only did we have the most artworks displayed from all the schools that had entered, but we had 3 winners and 4 honourable mentions. The winners all had their tree toppers 3D printed.
Some of our children attended a masterclass with jeweller Theo Fennell to design and make their own silver charm. They were shown examples of jewellery and discussed the materials used to achieve such intricate designs. They had the opportunity to meet the team of designers and see how their CAD sketches are turned into 3D pieces by hand. They then explored different themes appropriate for a charm, sketching their ideas before deciding on a final design. This was then hand engraved for the children and sent to them for them to keep.
Our children designed and made clay decorations and candle holders when learning about product design. These were made to such a high standard that they were sold in the school fair! The children enjoyed seeing our community pay ‘real money’ for something that they had made, further embedding the real purpose to our DT learning
What our children say:
EYFS: “I like building things. I like making things out of cardboard or Lego.”
Year 1: “When we designed cards for someone, we had to think about what to draw to make them happy.”
Year 2: “I’ve enjoyed making smoothies and tasting the different fruits.”
Year 6: “I found it interesting learning about how designers take their ideas from sketchbook, to the computer to the workshop.”