Design and Technology

We aim to create purposeful opportunities to develop the children's key skills and understanding of products and product design. When appropriate, design projects will link to our half termly learning project.

There are four main areas of Design and Technology: Investigate, Design, Make and Evaluate.

Each unit will consist of these steps to completion:

1) Design brief - what is it that the children will be doing?

2) Investigate and research into existing products

3) Design various products

4) Choose the design they will make

5) Focused practical tasks, guided by the teacher

6) Make the product

7) Evaluate the product, including quality of finish.

Many of our D.T. projects link to our Food for Life work.

 https://www.westhouses.derbyshire.sch.uk/food-for-life/

The children will work in design sketchpads, which show their learning journey throughout the unit. There should be cross-curricular links where appropriate; maths skills such as measure and instructional writing.

Examples of DT projects:

• Mexican Cafe - children designed and made Mexican inspired food and created a 'cafe' where parents bought and ate the food we created.
• Make do and mend - in the spirit of WW2, children attempted to 'upcycle' old materials.
• Victorian Christmas Samplers.
• Design and make a shelter which could be used in the Arctic.
• Design and make a boat for a boat race.
• Calendars.

Children are supported and challenged as appropriate to ensure they get as much as possible out of each designing lesson.

For more information about what your child will strudy this year, see the year group overview or speak to your child's class teacher.

Art and Design

Each term, children embark on a new creative adventure. Using the National Curriculum, we aim to develop children;s understanding of different artists and artistic styles through exploration, analysis and having a go!

The children are encouraged to be spontaneously creative, using a variety of media and techniques in art and craftwork. An awareness of colour, shape, balance, focus and proportion are developed alongside the use of symbols to convey ideas and feelings. Children are encouraged to develop their skills in drawing, using different medium, working in 2D and 3D and using a variety of materials. The study of a wide range of artists, craftspeople and designers complements this work.

Examples of Art projects include:

• Using natural materials to create art and decoration.
• Egyptian Death Masks out of paper mache.
• Exploration of classic and modern artists.
• Creating cave art using charcoal and pastels.
• Pottery work.

If you would like to know what your child will be investigating, see the class overview or speak to their teacher.