Design and Technology | King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

Design and Technology

Design and Technology at King Richards III Infant and Nursery School

At King Richard III, we intend to build a Design and Technology curriculum that promotes children’s curiosity, creativity and imagination. We want children to leave our school with the confidence to think innovatively about the world around them. We aim to provide children with the opportunity to explore, design, make and evaluate a variety of projects that foster their critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration skills.

Our intent is for the children to:

Reach their full potential by having high expectations for their learning

Gain the confidence to ask questions and develop good knowledge and skills

Explore, plan and create a variety of products

Evaluate and reflect on products made by them or others

We implement our Design and Technology curriculum by:

Early years

Providing children with a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. We provide construction and junk modelling materials. In both our nursery and reception classes we support children to develop their understanding of how things are made and how to adapt if necessary. Adults support children in developing vocabulary and practicing skills such as cutting and joining.

Key stage 1

Our curriculum is designed to engage and inspire young learners through hands on experiences. Children participate in four Design and Technology projects each year and lessons are taught as a block. Some of these projects include ‘Can I make a moving picture’ using sliders and levers, ‘Whose bridge will carry the most weight’ and ‘Can I make a healthy pizza?' where children practice their culinary skills. The curriculum has been designed to ensure there is clear progression in the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Teachers ensure at the start of each unit previous learning is recapped allowing a firm foundation for new learning to take place.

Our Design and Technology curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression year on year. This will be evident through children achieving key skills at the end of each year and then being able to build on and strengthen key skills the following year.

For our SEND children, Design and Technology is adapted to meet their individual needs, this may be in the form of additional support and time, special equipment, modified tasks, visual aids, collaborative projects.

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is for our children to have the experience, knowledge and skills to design, make ad evaluate and be proud of their creations. Through the experience and opportunities on offer we provide our children with enthusiasm and curiosity for the next phase of their education and motivation to want to become our future designers, architects and engineers.

Please see below for our school's Design and Technology Long Term Plan and Progression Map.