Here at Smithdown we value and encourage creativity in a wide range of ways. Design and Technology is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum and is found in many forms: clothes, books, home wear, sportswear – products which have been designed to help people with their needs. Design and Technology is part of every child’s immediate life experience. The subject encourages children to become creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. It enables them to identify needs and opportunities and to respond by developing ideas, and eventually making a range of products. Through the study of design and technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues, as well as of the products functions. This allows them to reflect on, and evaluate, past and present design and technology. Design and technology helps all children to become discriminating and informed consumers and potential innovators.
In Key Stage 1 the children will learn to design purposeful, functional and appealing products that are based on design criteria. They will make products by using a wide range of materials and develop the use of tools to cut, shape, join and finish. They will learn to evaluate products and suggest how it could be improved to be stronger, stiffer and more stable. They will learn to cook simple food with an emphasis on savoury dishes.
In Key Stage 2 the children will learn to design purposeful products that are aimed at particular individuals or groups. They will develop their ideas through detailed planning, evaluating product design, observational drawings and making prototypes. They will make products and learn how to use a wide variety of tools, equipment, materials and components. They will learn how to include mechanical, electrical and computer control into products. They will learn to design and cook food with an emphasis on savoury dishes.
Progression in D/T will be assessed through work completed in pupils sketch books, displays, written work and photographic evidence.
Please click here for our whole school overview for design and technology 2023-2024
National Curriculum for Design and Technology
11:00 11.11.2024
Huge respect in our class to recognise the soldiers that have fallen in the past. We did a minute silence in the morning and then created amazing poppy art work based on our art topic ‘painting with scissors’ in the afternoon.
Today we are designing our Diwali lanterns for next week. We have learnt the story of Rama and Sita and thought about why Diwali is celebrated in Hindu religion. We are trying to focus on using Rangoli patterns.
We used Henri Matisse as our inspiration for our art topic. We used his method of painting with scissors to make our collages.
Earlier in the year, year 5 took part in a project with Primary Engineer and built moving locomotives with an electrical circuit. Today we celebrated each child taking part, awarded awards for best group work and also two boys took home the ‘Best communicator’ award. Well done, year 5!
We had our second group to make our traditional Italian bolognese. They had a great time preparing the ingredient and seasoning it to perfection! Thanks to our amazing head chef once again – Monica.
We had an amazing afternoon erupting our volcanoes! We even had a very dangerous and violent composite volcano with thick magma which increased the pressure when erupting.
Happy Eid to all our families celebrating! We had a lovely day and week celebrating with all our children and adults.
Our first group created their very own authentic traditional bolognese sauce! We have linked our DT unit with our Geography topic of Italy. Super behaviour and sensible cooks.
We have created our volcanoes and painted them. They look amazing! We are going to erupt them this week and see what happens when an active volcano blows. Watch this space…
Year 3 used the pigment from different foods and natural resources to paint and mark make. 
Super work creating our Bronze Age Bell Beaker pots. We created a similar shape and added patterns to them.
We had lots of fun using different joining techniques to build our own chairs. Take a look at some of our fantastic structures 
Maisie Mouse in our story is having a birthday! ? ? ?
We have been working hard on our rail engineering project. Over the past couple of weeks, we have created our own locomotives, complete with a frame, wheels, axels and an electrical circuit.
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We made chairs as part of our DT topic on stable structures.
We worked so well in teams to start to build our chairs in DT
We’ve had a great afternoon making circuits with a light and a buzzer to help us when making our buzz wire game. We also got to have a go at a buzz wire game!
This afternoon we created Supertato’s house using icing sugar and gingerbread. We mixed the icing sugar and water to use as glue to stick the house together.
To continue learning about chefs, we’re going to become chefs and make our own soup! To prepare for this, we went to Tesco to buy the ingredients we need.
We loved making models of our homes! #smithdowneyfs #smithdowndt
