Design and Technology Curriculum

At Farnborough Road Infant School we are Design and Technology Enthusiasts! We want all our children to love Design and Technology and have no limits to what their ambitions are. We want them to aspire to be a variety of professions such as; architects, engineers, graphic designers, chefs, nutritionists or carpenters (to name a few!).

We want all children to have access to appropriate Design and Technology experiences and resources so that they can become the professions of the future! We want all children to enjoy STEM learning to encourage technical vocabulary, and feel confident when using design and technology methods and processes throughout their education. We would like all pupils to understand how valuable these roles are in providing products and solutions in the world around us, solving real and relevant problems by thinking about theirs and others, needs, wants and values. 

Curriculum Intent

Our Design and Technology curriculum promotes curiosity, creativity and imagination,  and empowers our children to become independent and resilient learners. The FRIS Design and Technology curriculum not only meets National Curriculum requirements, but will provide memorable Design and Technology lessons that will develop their Design and Technology capital and prepare them for the next stage in their education.

Children experience a wide variety of Design and Technology opportunities in well planned inspiring and practical lessons, and during our annual Science and Technology Week. We strive for all children to have the confidence to take risks and to be resourceful and innovative so they can have a real impact on daily life and the wider world. Additionally, we have specialist visitors to school throughout the year to enhance our curriculum. We offer lunchtime and after school clubs that focus on developing key skills in Design and Technology.

Curriculum Implementation

The Design and Technology curriculum has carefully planned learning opportunities which ensure in each year group there is a progression of skills, understanding and knowledge, relating all products to a particular user and real world links to ensure authenticity. At Farnborough Road Infant School, we focus on 6 important principles of Design and Technology.

• The User – Who are we making it for?
• The Purpose – Why are we making it?
• Authenticity – Is our product believable, meaningful and real?
• Functionality – Does it work and function effectively?
• Innovation – Can we create a product that is innovative and different?
• Design decisions – Can we design our product and decide how it will work?

From entry into school the children are given a rich diet of technological experiences. Our Nursery children are engineers and architects as they explore construction materials and make junk models, practising different joining techniques. Our children prepare healthy food, learning correct food preparation skills and hygiene, as farm (Nursery garden) to fork is a feature of the food technology curriculum in our school. School grown carrots are used to make carrot cake, pumpkins have been transformed into silky soups, apples make their way into fruit kebabs and Gruffalo crumble. Textile lessons are built upon from weaving skills in EYFS, to Year 1 learning how to design and create their own superhero capes repurposing old t-shirts, and Year 2 designing and making their own unique Christmas stockings to hang on their fireplace ready for Father Christmas to fill. Finally, all children explore the use of structures- figuring out how to make them stronger and more stable. KS1 create a vehicle to transport an alien into space, as well as a vehicle to transport a small figure across the classroom (exploring and using mechanisms such as wheels and axles)! Not only that, all children will then test their finished product to assess its’ functionality, and then self-evaluate their own work along with their peers, learning how to provide constructive feedback.

Curriculum Impact

We strive for every child to achieve their full potential in Design and Technology, develop a love for Design and Technology and understand its’ real world links and therefore be ready for their next stage in learning, and have grand aspirations for their future career paths.

At Farnborough Road Infant School, we are Design and Technology Enthusiasts!