Design and Technology
Design and technology is a fundamental part of the growth and change of society. At Whittingham, children learn that all man-made products that are used today were designed for a specific purpose and audience. Throughout their studies, they develop an understanding of the design process and the considerations needed to make a functional product. Design and technology has a strong connection to science and the children recall information from that subject to help inform their designs.
Design and technology involves four key concepts: brief, design, make and evaluate. The different strands of learning include textiles, nutrition, mechanical and electrical. Each strand exposes the children to different skill sets and materials in a way that is progressive throughout the key stages. In textiles, the children learn about fabrics and how to join them. The nutrition strand exposes the children to cooking and lets them explore different types of ingredients and utensils. Mechanical design and technology involves understanding how manual movement is enabled and electrical technology incorporates circuitry into a product to produce sound, light or automatic movement.