Design and technology at key stages 1 and 2

• investigative, disassembly and evaluative activity (IDEA);
• focused practical task (FPT);
• design and make assignment (DMA).

Example long-term plan 2: linking with other curriculum areas

This school has made linking with other areas of the curriculum, particularly ICT and science, a priority.

The units are sequenced in the order suggested in the scheme and this ensures all materials areas are covered adequately. However, where other subjects cover materials areas, time is set aside to reinforce children's design and technology knowledge and understanding. The plan also encourages children to find out information for themselves from those subject areas and to set criteria for their designs.

The plan meets the requirements set out in the programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2.

Key stage 1

	Year A	Year B
Year 1	Unit 1A: Moving pictures Unit 1B: Playgrounds Unit 1C: Eat more fruit and vegetables	Science: Unit 1D Light and dark Unit 1E Pushes and pulls Unit 1C Sorting and using materials Science: More from Units 1C, 1E Unit 2E Forces and movement Science: Unit 1A Ourselves Unit 1B Growing plants Unit 2A health and growth
Year 2	Unit 2A: Vehicles Unit 2B: Puppets Unit 2C: Winding Up	ICT: Unit 2B Creating Pictures Unit 2D Routes ICT: Unit 1D Labelling and classifying Unit 2A Writing stories Unit 2B Creating pictures ICT: More from Unit 2D

Key stage 2

	Year A	Year B
Year 3	Unit 3A: Packaging Unit 3B: Sandwich snacks Unit 3C: Moving monsters	Science: Unit 2A Health and growth Unit 3A Characteristics of materials Science: Unit 4A Moving and Growing Unit 5A Keeping healthy Science: Unit 4E Friction
Year 4	Unit 4A: Money containers Unit 4B: Storybooks Unit 4D (Revised): Alarms	ICT: Unit 4B Developing images using repeating patterns ICT: Unit 3A Combining text and graphics More from Unit 4B Unit 5E Controlling devices ICT: More from Unit 3A More from 5E Unit 6C Control and monitoring
Year 5	Unit 5A (Revised): Musical instruments Unit 5B (Revised): Bread Unit 5C: Moving toys	Science: Unit 5F Changing sounds Unit 3C Characteristics of materials Science: Unit 5A Keeping healthy Unit 5D Changing state Unit 6B Micro-organisms Science: Unit 6E Balanced and unbalanced forces
Year 6	Unit 6A: Shelters Unit 6B: Slippers Unit 6C: Fairground	ICT: Unit 5B Analysing data and asking questions ICT: Unit 4B Developing images using repeating patterns ICT: Unit 5E Controlling devices Unit 6C Control and monitoring.

Notes

The bold in the chart indicates where knowledge and understanding from a unit in another subject is developed further in design and technology units in the same year.

Some of the links with other subjects will act as a starting point for a unit in that subject area that will be taught later.

Pupils are taught the techniques they need to make links between other areas of learning as an integral part of each design and technology unit.

Example long-term plan 3: adapting the designing and making contexts

This school has adapted the designing and making contexts in the units so that they fit into a class theme, which is reinforced and further developed each term over a year.

Each new unit broadens the interests of the children at that particular point in time. The aim of the school is to:

• motivate and excite the children and teachers as they gain in-depth knowledge and understanding within a broad theme;
  
• encourage the children to work beyond levels expected as they reinforce knowledge and understanding developed within that theme.

The plan meets the requirements set out in the programmes of study for key stages 1 and 2

Key stage 1

Year 1	Unit 1A: Moving pictures - emphasising 'someone special' Unit 1C: Eat more fruit and vegetables - emphasising 'ourselves' Unit 1D: Homes - emphasising 'where we live' This group of units develops pupils understanding of themselves
Year 2	Unit 2A: Vehicles - emphasising 'moving wheels' Unit 2B: Puppets - emphasising 'moving bodies' Unit 2C: Winding up - emphasising 'moving mechanisms' This group of units emphasise an understanding of movement

Key stage 2

Year 3	Unit 3A: Packaging - emphasising 'keeping things protected' Unit 3B: Sandwich snacks - emphasising 'pre-packed food' Unit 4A: Money containers - emphasising 'keeping money safe' This group of units emphasise an understanding of containers and contents
Year 4	Unit 3C: Moving monsters Unit 5A (Revised): Musical instruments Unit 4B: Storybooks This group of units underpin each other as a class story and musical performance based on monsters is developed
Year 5	Unit 5B (Revised): Bread Unit 6B: Slippers Unit 6A: Shelters This group of units develops knowledge and understanding of the household
Year 6	Unit 4D (Revised): Alarms Unit 5C: Moving toys Unit 6C: Fairground This group of units develops knowledge and understanding of mechanisms, electrical components and control

Notes

The delivery of the units could be compacted to a block of time rather than weekly slots in order to maximise motivation and use of time in practical activities.

Units could be moved from one year to another providing that coverage is maintained across the key stage and that progression issues are considered.

Example long-term plan 4: changing the emphasis of the tasks

This school has adapted the emphasis of the investigative and evaluative activities and focused practical tasks in each unit to encourage children to approach designing and making activities from their personal understanding of materials.

Lesson times have been adjusted so that investigative and evaluative activities are presented frequently for short periods of time. This enables the children to experiment and then go away to think about their 'next move'. The teacher has to plan carefully to provide inspiring and different materials for each short session.

The teacher avoids demonstrating the 'preferred approach' during focused practical tasks and concentrates on supporting pupils as they develop their ideas.

The designing and making activities are allocated more lesson time.

A 'fresh start' is provided each term through the introduction of an entirely new material. The teacher has to ensure that progression in designing and making processes is clearly addressed.

Key stage 1

Year 1	Unit 1A: Moving pictures - emphasising an understanding of paper Unit 1C: Eat more fruit and vegetables - emphasising healthy foodstuffs Unit 1D: Homes - emphasising an understanding of simple structural materials
Year 2	Unit 2A: Vehicles - emphasising an understanding of the use of 'found' materials Unit 2B: Puppets - emphasising an understanding of textiles Unit 2C Winding up - emphasising an understanding of plastic components

Key stage 2

Year 3	Unit 3A: Packaging - emphasising an understanding of card Unit 3B: Sandwich snacks - emphasising an understanding of seasonal foodstuffs Unit 3C: Moving monsters - emphasising an understanding of plastics
Year 4	Unit 4A: Money containers - emphasising an understanding of re-enforced textiles Unit 4B: Storybooks - emphasising an understanding of corrugated and treated paper Unit 4D (Revised): Alarms - emphasising an understanding of electronics
Year 5	Unit 5A (Revised): Musical instruments - emphasising the potential of sound from materials Unit 5B (Revised): Bread - emphasising an understanding of mixing ingredients and the effect of heat on materials Unit 5C: Moving toys - emphasising an understanding of wood
Year 6	Unit 6A: Shelters - emphasising an understanding of insulating materials Unit 6B: Slippers - emphasising an understanding of composite materials Unit 6C: Fairground - emphasising an understanding of control materials

Example long-term plan 5: mixed-age classes

In schools where children of mixed ages are taught together, work in design and technology may be organised in cycles over time. An example of a key stage plan for mixed-age classes is shown below. Individual units within such plans require close monitoring of learning objectives and differentiation strategies to ensure that individuals and groups within the class can make progress appropriate to their age, maturation and previous experience.

Successful plans for schools with mixed-age classes are characterised by:

• units that have a range of expected outcomes to match age and ability;
• cyclical planning that allows coverage of key aspects without repetition.