What is design and technology? (DT)

Pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. EYFS and year 1 children will also be given tools and resources to experiment and create with as they play independently during their Continuous Provision.

Children develop technical knowledge by selecting from and using a range of tools, equipment, materials, textiles, components and ingredients. They evaluate as they create, making immediate changes, and also evaluate the finished product against specific criteria. Talking with peers and staff is an important part of the design and evaluation process. Written methods of design and evaluation will usually be used with taught projects, but DT is predominately a practical subject. Creations might be alone, in a pair or in a group. Each project is usually completed in a “DT day”.

Hawley’s DT curriculum has been written in accordance with the 2021 statutory framework for the EYFS and the 2013 national curriculum requirements for design and technology.

The EYFS framework & the content of DT in year R

The EYFS framework identifies 7 areas of learning and development and what should be included in our curriculum. Our EYFS teachers organise this learning into cross-curricular topics, but they vary the topics each year based on the interests of that particular cohort of children.

In every topic, there are design, building, making and technology opportunities available daily. Much of the equipment and materials provided changes with each topic or also within each topic to spark the children’s interest and encourage them to try new things, enjoy new building opportunities and to develop new skills. Some equipment stays in use all year e.g. the tyres, plastic bricks, plastic pipes and wooden planks in the outside large construction area; the mud kitchen; the water area. Staff interact with children wherever possible to encourage them to “have a go”, to help them if they “encounter difficulties”, to notice when they are “thinking critically... and making links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things”.

Alongside our Continuous Provision, teachers plan DT tasks that are taught in a small group by a teacher or TA. Children will get to share their creations with the whole class, the other Year R class, in assembly or on Tapestry.

Please see a more detailed description of DT in our EYFS in “DT in the EYFS at Hawley Primary School” in the DT section of our school website. This details how we provide for the 7 areas of learning and development and how 33 of the 51 early learning goals (ELGs) are developed through DT opportunities in the EYFS at Hawley.

The content of DT in years 1-6

There are 10 national curriculum attainment targets for KS1 and 14 attainment targets for KS2. These are all taught in several or many of our DT projects. This is monitored by our subject lead.

Our planning also includes all of the chronological progression of the technical skills that was agreed by the local SHARP Alliance of schools.

Please see the other documents in this “DT” section of our website and our DT policy.

Designs, photos and evaluations are kept in each child’s own DT folder. Therefore at the end of Year 6, there may be 6 years of creations evidenced in their folder. We also share products made in assemblies, on display boards and sometimes on Seesaw.

Please also enjoy photos of a few of our DT creations below: