D&T in primary schools develops young children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures,

mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. D&T encourages

children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues.

DATA (The Design & Technology Association)  www.data.org.uk

Intent

Design and Technology is a way of learning, which spans and links the whole curriculum. In primary school it has its roots in imaginative play, art and science.  We want all children at Wigton Moor Primary School to think innovatively, to question and explore the practical world around them and to develop a positive and passionate approach to their learning, through creative design because at Wigton Moor everyone learns, everyone achieves and everyone matters! Teaching staff lead design technology lessons with a no ceiling approach to differentiation, taking into consideration the needs of children with SEND and the most able, enabling all children to access our challenging curriculum and to feel confident in their design decisions. Children understand how to apply their technical knowledge and justify their design decisions using key vocabulary, initial designs, mock-ups, prototypes and functional products from the conceptual through to the constructional, avoiding design fixation. We want to instil this ethos at the heart of all good design - to design, test, make and evaluate...

                                            something.......... for someone........... for some purpose.

We aim to help our children at Wigton Moor develop: enjoyment and pride in their technological and creative abilities; a keen and passionate interest in creating functional and user-focused designs and products; communication, cooperation and collaboration skills; confidence, perseverance and the ability to critically self-reflect and evaluate their design decisions, making valuable connections across the curriculum. We want children to challenge themselves with innovative and bold design, applying an iterative, problem-solving approach alongside critical thinking to show a deeper understanding of the design process. 

Implementation

Using the National Curriculum for Design and Technology, attached below, the development of Design and Technology proficiency at Wigton Moor is achieved through opportunities and experiences across a broad curriculum. The Wigton Moor curriculum enables pupils to take part in a wide range of practical activities directly concerned with:

• identifying needs

• generating ideas

• planning and designing

• making and testing

• evaluating and reflecting

All of these key disciplinary skills are realised through design projects which explore and use of a variety of mediums and materials such as textiles, construction, sheet materials, mechanisms, computer-aided design (CAD) and cooking and nutrition. 

Following an iterative design process is key to enabling children to evaluate and adjust their designs and products. We achieve this though various approaches such as: the use of handling displays for children to explore existing designs and products; well-structured lessons allowing time for exploration, discussion, practise and research; designing a product for a specific audience or 'client' in mind; cross-curricular links that allow children to make connections between subjects and with real-life situations and problems that may need a design solution; whole school Design and Technology days aimed to support children working collaboratively, such as planning, designing and making the perfect Wigton Moor town for Leeds City Council, exploring the use of free-standing structures, or constructing a functional, eye-catching bag for JD Sports (KS2), our local Co-op (KS2) or Tropical World in Leeds (KS1).

Recently, as a result of an in-depth school-wide review of all subjects taught at Wigton Moor, the Design and Technology curriculum continues to be developed, improved and reviewed in order to offer the most up to date, exciting and challenging lessons for all children. All Wigton Moor teachers are now members of the Design & Technology Association (DATA) and have access to design industry professionals, experienced design educators and a wealth of design and technology training that can be disseminated throughout the teaching staff. Through a considered curriculum, teachers can ensure that children at Wigton Moor build upon the skills and knowledge acquired in KS1, gaining confidence and a deeper understanding as they progress through KS2 equipping them with the vital skills they will need going into KS3 and beyond. 

Impact

To assess that children have learnt more and remember more as they move through the design process, assessment for learning is embedded deeply across the school and can be seen in all year groups and in all lessons, meeting the needs of all children.  Pupils regularly share their design decisions through teacher-led and peer-based discussions. Children can demonstrate their understanding and develop their technical design skills demonstrating various points in the design cycle in working sketch/design books, reworking ideas and evaluating prototypes. Pupils complete assessment quadrants at the end of a design project to gauge their understanding and to assess their own progress. This also provides teachers with vital information that can be used to develop and improve the learning experience for all children at Wigton Moor.  

Through creativity and innovation, design and technology continue to shape our lives. Using an

activity-focused approach, a high-quality design and technology education should give

pupils opportunities to create, innovate, design, make and evaluate a variety of well-crafted

products. Pupils should be taught the technical skills and craftsmanship to execute practical tasks,

thereby developing confidence in using these skills.

The National Curriculum

D&T at Wigton Moor 2023-24!

Over the past two years, Wigton Moor has been revamping its D&T curriculum and making sure that what we offer is the most suitable for our children and their needs. We have included lots of designing, testing, making prototypes (following that iterative design process) and evaluating our products to make sure they are fit for purpose!

We have also included lots more cooking, particularly of nutritious, savoury food that often connects to our topics in other areas. Year 3 have been researching and making a Greek meal to support their understanding of life in Ancient Greece; Year 5 have made Jamaican patties which links with the history/English topic on immigration and Year 6 have been making pizza bread linking their understanding of yeast and micro-organisms in science. We have also had lots of new cooking equipment delivered and hope to be using our new electric hobs soon!

More textiles topics have been included in the curriculum with sewing skills starting in KS1 with a basic running stitch, developing their skills in KS2 where children have learnt to use the back stitch and blanket stitch. Some fantastic products have been produced such as book marks, felt paper weights, Saxon belts and felt decorated tote bags.

Enjoy some photos of the D&T we have been doing in the past year!

                                                      D&T is back! 2021-22

This year has seen the school settling back into some sort of normality after two years of disruption. The repercussions of Covid have affected practical, hands-on subjects such as design technology and it's been great to see all year groups getting stuck in again AND trying out new topics, in line with our updated school curriculum.  

Here is a selection of some of the amazing DT topics we have seen across school this year so far.

Year 1 have been making moving parts in the castles topic. Year 2 have been designing and testing bridges, which will also be developed and introduced as a new topic in Year 5 in the summer term, showing a progression of skills from KS1 to KS2. Year 4 have been making (and playing!) musical instruments and Year 5 have been tasting, designing and baking Jamaican patties which links to their history topic on West Indian immigration and how Britain has changed since the 1940s.

D&T at Wigton Moor 2020-21

Throughout this past year, more practical subjects in school, such as design & technology, have suffered somewhat as a result of the pandemic, with restrictions on using and sharing equipment, materials and ingredients, isolation periods for classes and children and ultimately, the impact of long national lockdowns. But at Wigton Moor we still saw some great examples of design and technology explored and applied at home as a whole class activity and by individual children - from water filters for geography, animal pencil pot holders, impressive den making and even vast Lego towns constructed! This winter during lockdown, we also sent home some fantastic DT kits for ALL children in Years 4, 5 and 6.

Year 4 missed out on their Science of Sound topic so were asked to make instruments at home from old pieces of junk, cardboard rolls, boxes and cartons. They were also sent a 'spinning drum' kit which they constructed and decorated to their own design. We think they look (and sound) great!

In Years 5 and 6, all the children were sent a DT/Science kit and were asked to have a screen-free day constructing and decorating a lighthouse or torch using electrical circuits, bulbs and switches. Lots of children sent some fabulous photos of their product/model. Here's a few of their final designs - well done Upper Key Stage Two!

NEWS FLASH!! D&T WEEK AT WIGTON MOOR 2019!

This year, the Wigton Moor Design Technology week was back with a vengeance! Across the school, from Reception right through to Year 6, the children were following an imaginary brief from the Leeds City Council planning department 

They were asked to design and make prototype free standing structures for the 'perfect' Wigton Moor town. All classes had to discuss and include a variety of amenities and facilities to support a range of people in a local town. This included commercial, communal and residential buildings, street facilities and important features to make sure the infrastructure would run smoothly.  

Reception, Year 1 and 2 were asked to design and make various important features such as recycling bins, lamp posts, telephone boxes, post boxes, flower beds, fences, benches and road signs. Some children used a template whilst others challenged themselves to make their structures from scratch. Their models really gave the town a finished feel and highlighted all the small details a town planner would have to be aware of.

Years 3 and 4 were tasked with making the buildings for our perfect Wigton Moor town. Year 3 focused on a range of commercial and residential buildings, including a sports centre, a post office, a garage, a block of flats, a hospital, a swimming pool, a mosque, a gurdwara, a church, a synagogue and a slime shop! Everyone was on task, collaborating in groups and working hard - well done!

Years 5 and 6 had the challenging task of designing and making strong, free-standing bridge structures to span the River Wharfe and the River Aire that flowed around the town. They researched a variety of bridge styles such as beam, arch and hanging bridges, taking design inspiration from bridges around the world. They compared the bridges looking closely at the shapes used in bridge design to add strength such as triangles and hexagons. The children then experimented with different design techniques such as using flaps, beams, struts and braces to strengthen and support their bridges. Then they worked in groups to produce a fantastic array of bridges - every single bridge was different and all of the bridges were sturdy and free-standing! 

Finally, all of the structures were compiled to make the perfect Wigton Moor town in the quad, complete with marked roads, a village green, flowing rivers and even a park with our very own sculpture! Another great DT effort from every child in Wigton Moor school!!

D&T WEEK AT WIGTON MOOR 2018!

The children at Wigton Moor have been enjoying DT activities in July as part of a school-wide DT week.  All classes have been designing and making paper bags for a design brief, developing and creating initial ideas to appeal to the client and customers, and then making the bags -  fit for purpose!

Reception, Years 1 and 2 have been designing and decorating ready-made bags for a Tropical World brief based on animals. The bags look fantastic with lots of extra features the children chose to add themselves. The bags can be used to carry gifts and then turned into fun hand puppets.

Years 3 and 4 have been designing and constructing bags using a template for a Co-operative Food brief based on promoting healthy fruit and vegetables. They clearly understood the brief and produced colourful and eye-catching designs.

Year 5 have been designing and making from scratch a paper bag design for JD Sports based on sports equipment. This was the most challenging activity as the children had to listen carefully and follow the demonstration on how to make the bags from A3 paper, using tricky origami techniques for folding - very difficult! The results are great!

Well done Wigton Moor!

Examples of D&T at Wigton Moor Primary School