Welcome to our Design and Technology Page

At St Matthew’s, the Design and technology scheme of work aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

Our Design and technology scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those in the National curriculum. EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals.

What we learn:

 

Year 1

Year 2

Autumn

Structures/Mechanisms

Constructing a windmill:

Designing, decorating and building a windmill, developing an understanding of different types of windmill, how they work and their key features. Looking at examples of windmills and exploring the functions that they carry out.

Structures

Baby bear's chair :

Using the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears as inspiration, pupils help Baby Bear by making him a brand new chair, exploring different shapes and materials. When designing the chair, they consider his needs and what he likes.

 

Spring

Textiles

Puppets:

 Exploring different ways of joining fabrics before creating hand puppets based upon characters from a well-known fairy tale. Developing technical skills of cutting, gluing, stapling and pinning.

Mechanisms

Making a moving monster:

 Learning the terms: pivot, lever and linkage, pupils then design a monster that will move using a linkage mechanism. Pupils practise making linkages and experiment with various materials to bring their monsters to life.

Summer

Cooking and Nutrition

Smoothies:

Handling and exploring fruits and vegetables and learning how to identify a fruit. Undertaking taste tests to identify ingredients for a smoothie they make, and designing and creating packaging for their smoothie.

Cooking and Nutrition

Balanced diet:

 Exploring and learning what forms a balanced diet, pupils taste test ingredient combinations from different food groups to inform a wrap design of their choice which will include a healthy mix of protein, vegetables and dairy.

 

 

 

Year 3

Year 4

Autumn

Cooking and Nutrition

Eating seasonally:

 Discovering when and where fruits and vegetables are grown and learning about seasonality in the UK. Pupils respond to a brief to design a seasonal food tart using ingredients harvested in the UK in May and June.

Structures

Pavilions:

Exploring pavilion structures, learning what they are used for and investigating how to create strong and stable structures before designing and creating their own pavilions, complete with cladding.

Spring

Digital World

Wearable technology:

Designing, coding and promoting a piece of wearable technology to use in low light conditions, developing their understanding of programming to monitor and control products to solve a design scenario.

Mechanisms

Making a slingshot car:

 Using lollipop sticks, wheels, dowels and straws to create a moving car. Pupils build a car chassis and design the body of the car, giving consideration to how the shape will affect the car’s air resistance. They then construct and test their cars.

Summer

Structures

Constructing a castle:

 Learning about the features of a castle, pupils design and make one of their own. Using configurations of handmade nets and recycled materials to make towers and turrets and constructing a stable base.

Electrical System

Torches:

 Applying their scientific understanding of electrical circuits, pupils design and create a torch made from recycled and reclaimed materials and objects. They then evaluate their products against a set design criteria.

 

 

 

Year 5

Year 6

Autumn

Electrical Systems

Doodlers:

 Further exploring series circuits and introducing motors. Pupils investigate existing products and use their problem-solving skills to establish how they think the products have been constructed, before then creating their own doodler.

Textiles

Waistcoats:

 Selecting fabrics, using templates, pinning, decorating and stitching materials together to create a waistcoat.

Spring

Mechanical Systems

Making a pop-up book:

Creating a four-page pop-up story book design, incorporating a range of functional mechanisms that use levers, sliders, layers and spacers to give the illusion of movement through interaction.

Structures

Playgrounds:

 Designing and creating a model for a new playground featuring five apparatus, made from three different structures. Using a footprint as the base, practising visualising objects in plan view and including natural features within their designs.

Summer

Cooking and Nutrition

Developing a recipe:

 Researching and modifying a traditional bolognese sauce recipe to improve the nutritional value before then cooking an adapted version and creating packaging that fits a given design criteria. Learning where beef comes from.

Digital World

Navigating the world Programming a navigation tool to produce a multifunctional device for trekkers. Combining 3D virtual objects to form a complete product concept in 3D computer-aided design modelling software.

 

Important Vocabulary and Knowledge Organisers

At the start of each unit children are given the key vocabulary they will need for the unit. They are also given a knowledge organiser which highlights key information and important facts. Please ask your child's teacher if you would like a copy to look at together with your child.

 

If you would like any further information please contact the school office.

See below for our Design and Technology Policy.

Design Technology policy

© Copyright 2020–2025 St Matthews CofE Primary School

School & Trust Websites by Schudio logo