Design and Technology

Design and technology at Archibald is built on the Cornerstones Curriculum, adapted by the school. Each year group studies three or four projects covering structures, mechanisms, textiles, and cooking and nutrition. Every project follows the same iterative process, so pupils learn how designers work as well as what they make. They evaluate existing products, build technical knowledge through focused practical tasks, then design, make and evaluate a product against design criteria for a real user. Mechanisms show how knowledge builds. Pupils start with wheels and axles in Year 1 and sliders, levers and linkages in Year 2. They use cams in Year 3 and simple machines in Year 4, then build pneumatic systems in Year 5. Electrical systems are taught through the science projects on circuits and applied in the Year 6 Engineer bridge challenge.

Structures progress in the same way, from shelters and dens to strengthened frameworks, architecture with computer-aided design, and bridges. Cooking and nutrition runs through every year, from food sources and simple preparation to the Eatwell guide, food preservation, seasonal eating and healthy menus built from whole foods. Pupils learn from significant designers, including Cath Kidston, Sir Joseph Paxton, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and William Morris. They are taught to use tools safely and work hygienically throughout. Links with other subjects are deliberate: Greenhouse draws on Year 3 science learning about plants, and Eat the Seasons runs alongside the geography project Sow, Grow and Farm. By the end of Year 6, pupils can design and make functional products to a brief, choosing appropriate materials, tools and techniques and evaluating their work against clear criteria.