Design Technology at Hawthorn

Design and technology is an inspiring, creative and practical subject which encourages children to become independent, creative problem solvers and thinkers. Through the design and technology curriculum, children should be inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects to enable them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose.

At Hawthorn Primary School, we teach children the skills which show clear progression from EYFS all the way up to Year 6. They are transferable to their everyday lives. We embed design and technology into the topic-based style of all year groups throughout the school. This involves researching, planning and using a wide range of materials in different situations to make their product. Evaluation is also a key part to the process. 

In EYFS the children made 'Fruit Kebabs' as part of their 'All About Me' topic. They were learning about healthy food choices in Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The children also linked this to their maths after learning about parts and wholes. They discussed the different parts on our fruit kebab to make up the whole.
In Year 1 the children have followed a recipe to make carrot cookies for Harvest Festival. 
In Year 3, the children brought in their historical knowledge about Neolithic homes to plan, design and make one of their own. We were really lucky lots of our parents came to join us for a workshop to help make them with their children. They enjoyed producing their own Neolithic home and evaluated the process at the end discussing which elements of the process worked and what they would do to improve their work next time. 
Year 6 looked at freedom quilts which linked to Black History Month. They developed their cross stitching skills and then used lino printing to print on the fabric. The children used recycled fabric to add applique and embroidery details to create a class quilt.