Summary highlights and key changes
- Children will continue to design and make products using a range of materials including textiles, construction materials and food.
- They will continue to create mechanical products at KS1 and KS2 and electrical products at KS2.
- They will continue to investigate and evaluate existing products and their own ideas and products.
- The structure of the document, four broad aims: Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical Knowledge.
- The subject content has two main strands Designing and Making and Cooking and Nutrition. DATA recommends linking these strands wherever possible.
- Developing and applying an understanding of structures.
- KS1 to use a design criteria and KS2 to encourage innovative design.
- Working in a range of relevant contexts for example: the home, school, leisure, culture, enterprise, industry and the wider environment.
- Cross-sectional and exploded diagrams and other high level drawing skills at KS2.
- Key elements and individuals in Design and Technology – who they are, how they made an impact and how this can feed into children’s own design and making at KS2. For example James Dyson
- There is no reference to design and make assignments (DMAs) and focus practical tasks (FPTS). Although the Design and Technology association (DATA) recommend schools continue to use these activities alongside investigative and evaluating activities, as good practice.
- There is no reference to children planning the sequence in which they make their products. Again DATA recommend continuing to include this in your practice.
Example of use of grid to support 3D drawing skills.
Example of Cross-sectional and exploded diagram
Key points for schools to consider
Resources
In order to effectively cover the curriculum requirements for D&T we will need to supply appropriately equipped rooms and resources for both strands of the subject, as well as digital technology. This is an important consideration when thinking about the cooking and nutrition element. With the new focus on pupils learning to become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens there is increased emphasis on sustainable living. Children need to know where and how things are grown, this is an ideal opportunity from growing produce with the children and then using it for cooking as part of your design and technology project. If there is no outside available space, children could grows herbs and small plants inside, for example cress for the sandwiches project often taught in year 3.
The Design and Technology association (DATA) has an up to date list of CPD opportunities and support with many resources for D & T teaching.
Excellent resources for Primary D&T designed by Nuffield
James Dyson Foundation, this is an excellent website explaining the design process also you could request an ideas box: The Ideas Box is a product analysis and design kit to teach engineering. It was created in a bid to inspire the next generation of designers and inventors from an early age. It contains:
- 1 Dyson Air Multiplier™ fan as a case study
- Teacher’s Pack with lesson plans and instructions
- Posters for the classroom
Software suitable for ‘Computer Aided Design’ ‘Purple mash’ KS1 free to download (CAD programme) can also print and use for projects such as vehicles.
Techsoft UK Reasonably priced site license CAD for KS1 and 2
Aspex software is computer aided design programme, enabling you visualise, investigate and construct various images some 3D shapes
Professional Development
There are increased technical demands and significant CPD needs for KS2. For example in particular applying computing to programme, monitor and control products and using computer aided design to develop and communicate ideas. It is a good idea for colleagues to look at the primary section of the Design and Technology subject association website. The website has an up to date list of CPD opportunities and many downloadable documents to support the teaching of D&T. When planning the new curriculum and considering what projects will be taught in each year group, it may be useful to use the ‘Moving forward’ document written by DATA, this provides teachers with alternative contexts and outcomes for various projects. In conjunction with this it is important to evaluate each project in relation to each of the . This task ensures each project is in fact a design and technology project instead of maybe an art and design based project (see below).
