Design Technology

Design Technology at Southwater Junior Academy

At Southwater Junior Academy we base our DT learning around a number of skills and the varied curriculum enables learners to explore the different areas of DT. Our aim is for children to develop skills in cooking, building structures, textiles and mechanisms. Each year the children are given opportunities to develop and refine their design skills and critically evaluate their own work.  DT is enjoyed across the school and the children enjoy the challenge of being able to produce a variety of different products from meals to pop up books. 

Cross Curricular Learning

The DT curriculum is planned with each topic in mind and DT projects are often part of topic days. Year 6 enhanced their learning about World War II by creating and designing Anderson shelters, whilst Year 3 on Victorian day created marble runs and sewed pockets.  There are also opportunities to use computing skills to design products. This begins in the lower juniors and progresses to more challenging software being used in the upper juniors.  

Healthy Eating

Following the changes to the National Curriculum, more emphasis has been placed in cooking and nutrition at Southwater Junior Academy.  Each year children are taught how to safely prepare food and understand where their food has come from.  Cooking skills and projects are linked to each topic and the children thoroughly enjoyed being able to design and make a super healthy meal in Year 4 and make a fruit smoothie in Year 3. When planning their food products the children are encouraged to consider the consumer and how they would brand and advertise their product.