Design & Technology

Summer 2 Projects

Design Technology (D&T) Rationale

Design and Technology (D&T) at Horsley School develops children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. It encourages children's creativity and encourages them to think about important issues. DT is about providing opportunities for children to develop their capability. By combining their design and making skills with knowledge and understanding they learn to create quality products. D&T education involves two important elements - learning about the designed and made world and how things work, and learning to design and make functional products for particular purposes and users.

In D&T, children acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of materials and components, mechanisms and control systems, structures, existing products, quality and health and safety.

The skills learned in D&T also help with learning across the curriculum. Their knowledge about the properties of materials helps in science and the practice of measuring accurately helps in maths. These skills help in ICT through the children’s use of computer control and, naturally, in art and design.

D&T education helps develop children’s skills and knowledge in design, materials, structures, mechanisms and electrical control. They are encouraged to be creative and innovative, and are actively encouraged to think about important issues such as sustainability and enterprise.

There are three core activities children engage with in D&T:
  • Activities which involve investigating and evaluating existing products
  • Focused tasks in which children develop particular aspects of knowledge and skills
  • Designing and making activities in which children design and make 'something' for 'somebody' for 'some purpose'

Our Design Process
1. Research
2. Design
3. Plan/Communicate
4. Make
​5. Evaluate