Sparken Hill Academy
Design Technology
Design and Technology
At Sparken Hill, we want every child to see themselves as a designer and a maker, solving real problems for real people with creativity, imagination and practical skill.
Why we teach Design and Technology
Design and Technology shapes the world our children live in, from the food they eat to the buildings and machines around them. We want our pupils to understand how things are made and why, and to have the confidence to design and make things themselves.
Our curriculum aims to make children resourceful, resilient and willing to take risks. Every project has a clear purpose and a real user in mind, so that children learn not only how to make a product, but how to make it better.
Real purpose
Projects are linked to each topic, so children design for a real need: a room lost in the Great Fire, a flood barrier, a shelter.
Knowledge that builds
The five strands of DT are taught in a clear sequence and revisited in more depth each year.
Skills for life
Children learn to use tools safely, cook healthy food and solve practical problems.
How we teach Design and Technology
We follow the National Curriculum through a two-year topic cycle. Each unit is built around a small number of clear "to know" statements, so children remember the most important knowledge rather than skimming across too much. This reflects our whole-school approach of Doing Less. Well. and our Golden Thread, where every topic is driven by a key question that pupils return to and answer by the end.
Every project follows the same design process
- Explore
Research and evaluate real products, past and present.
- Design
Plan for a particular user against clear criteria, using sketches, mock-ups and, later, computer-aided design.
- Make
Choose from a growing range of tools and materials, and use them safely and accurately.
- Evaluate
Test the product, judge it against the criteria and decide how to improve it.
Evaluating leads straight back into exploring: children learn that good design is always improved.
Building knowledge from Year 1 to Year 6
Every child meets all five strands of DT and returns to each one with greater depth. Each dot is one project in our two-year cycle.
- Structures
- Mechanisms
- Textiles
- Cooking and nutrition
- Electrical systems
| Strand | Key Stage 1 | Lower Key Stage 2 | Upper Key Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structures | |||
| Mechanisms | Built on through structures | ||
| Textiles | |||
| Cooking and nutrition | |||
| Electrical systems | Key Stage 2 only | Circuits taught in Year 4 science |
The Anderson shelter project in Upper Key Stage 2 covers both structures and electrical systems.
Our projects
Our classes follow a two-year cycle, so each phase has an even-year and an odd-year set of projects. Every child completes both.
Key Stage 1
Years 1 and 2
- Strong roomGreat Fire of LondonEven year
- Moving storybook pictureArctic AdventuresEven year
- Moving vehiclePlanes, Trains and AutomobilesEven year
- Hand puppetToysOdd year
- Fruit smoothieThe World Around MeOdd year
- Healthy wrapSun, Sea and SandOdd year
Lower Key Stage 2
Years 3 and 4
- Chocolate bar and wrapperRemarkable RainforestsEven year
- Stone Age dwellingSavage Stone AgeEven year
- WeavingRaiders and SettlersEven year
- African tote bagAwesome AfricaOdd year
- Roman aqueductRuthless RomansOdd year
- Recycled bird feederThere is No Planet BOdd year
Upper Key Stage 2
Years 5 and 6
- Mining automatonMarvellous MinersEven year
- Flood barrier (Tinkercad)Extreme EarthEven year
- Working shadufTomb RaidersEven year
- Anderson shelter with alarmBlitz, Bombs and BritainOdd year
- Textiles projectMission SurvivalOdd year
- Camp fire stewGroovy GreeksOdd year
Foundation Stage
In Nursery and Reception, children build the foundations of DT through play: exploring materials, joining and building, using simple tools safely and preparing food together. These early experiences lead straight into the design and make projects of Key Stage 1.
What children achieve
Teachers assess each unit against its "to know" statements, so we can check that knowledge is secure before moving on. Children evaluate every product they make, and their finished work shows clearly how their skills have grown from Key Stage 1 to Year 6.
Confident makers
Children can talk about what they designed and made, why they made their choices and how they would improve their work.
Secure knowledge
They understand structures, mechanisms, textiles, cooking and electrical systems, and use the right vocabulary to explain them.
Life skills
From safe tool use to cooking healthy meals, children leave with practical skills they can use at home and beyond.
Design and Technology: Whole School Journey
Every child is a designer and a maker.
Every project has a real purpose and links to the class topic. Follow the road from Reception to Year 6 to see how children's design and making skills grow. E = even year, O = odd year.
Our five strands
- 🏗️Structures
- ⚙️Mechanisms
- 🧵Textiles
- 🍳Cooking and nutrition
- 💡Electrical systems
Y5/6O
- Aut 2Anderson shelter with alarmBlitz, Bombs and Britain🏗️💡
- Spr 2Textiles projectMission Survival🧵
- Sum 1Camp fire stewGroovy Greeks🍳
Y5/6E
- Aut 2Mining automatonMarvellous Miners: cam mechanisms⚙️
- Spr 1Flood barrierExtreme Earth: designed in Tinkercad🏗️
- Sum 1Working shadufTomb Raiders: levers and counterbalances⚙️
Y3/4O
- Aut 2African tote bagAwesome Africa🧵
- Spr 1Roman aqueductRuthless Romans: the strength of arches🏗️
- Sum 1Recycled bird feederThere is No Planet B🏗️
Y3/4E
- Aut 1Chocolate bar and wrapperRemarkable Rainforests🍳
- Spr 1Stone Age dwellingSavage Stone Age: tested against wind and rain🏗️
- Sum 1WeavingRaiders and Settlers🧵
Y1/2O
- Aut 2Hand puppetToys: running and over stitch🧵
- Spr 2Fruit smoothieThe World Around Me🍳
- Sum 1Healthy wrapSun, Sea and Sand: for the Lighthouse Keeper🍳
Y1/2E
- Aut 1Strong roomGreat Fire of London🏗️
- Spr 1Moving storybook pictureArctic Adventures: sliders and levers⚙️
- Sum 2Moving vehiclePlanes, Trains and Automobiles: wheels and axles⚙️
YearR
Reception: the journey starts with exploring materials, joining and building, using simple tools safely and preparing food together.