Design and Technology at Hatfield Peverel Infant and Nursery School
As part of our ‘Around the World’ week, the children in Year One practised using tools safely to peel potatoes and chop them in order to bake homemade chips. They made a traditional Canadian dish called Poutine which they then shared with parents. Yummy!
Year Two children enjoyed experimenting with pivots, mechanisms, levers and linkages in order to make a moving monster! They enjoyed showing these off and talking about them during the Art and DT sharing assembly.
Children enjoyed making windmills! They experimented with paper cups to try and make a stable base then added clay to the bottom to make it a little heavier therefore more stable. The children used their cutting and estimating skills to make sails, punched holes in the cup so that a straw could be added then made a rota from a tooth pick. They then had a lot of fun blowing the sails to see if they could freely spin around.
Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to nurture curiosity, creativity and early problem-solving skills by enabling children to explore how things are made and how they work. We want pupils to develop confidence in designing and making purposeful products using a range of simple tools and materials. Through practical, hands-on experiences, children learn to express their ideas, make decisions and begin to evaluate their creations. Our intention is to lay strong foundations for innovation, independence and resilience, preparing pupils for the next stage of their Design and Technology learning.
Please refer to the Design and Technology progression map below to find out how we teach Design and Technology in our school and the impact.
Grandparents morning in January 2026 saw a remarkable 138 grandparents attend the event. We found ourselves on the verge of running out of cups and saucers due to sheer number of attendees! There were countless smiles as the children proudly showcased their classrooms and actively participated in a variety of engaging activities centred around a Design and Technology theme. During the event, activities included building structures using construction toys and Lego, as well as engaging in cutting activities related to Chinese New Year. Children also enjoyed making Chinese New Year money wallets and exploring various joining techniques to create amazing masterpieces. It was wonderful to see so many competitive grandads getting involved! The grandparents left with positive remarks, especially impressed by the impeccable behaviour displayed by all the children. Events like these truly enrich a child’s learning journey and make it even more memorable. We cannot wait for next year!
