Design & Technology @ Holden Lane Academy

At Holden Lane Academy, pupils access a Design and Technology curriculum which allows them to exercise their creativity through designing, making and evaluating.  Pupils are taught to combine their skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design, make and evaluate a product. Skills are taught progressively to ensure that all pupils are able to develop as they move through the school.

Evaluation is an integral part of the design process and allows pupils to adapt and improve their work.  Design and Technology allows pupils to apply the knowledge and skills learned in other subjects, particularly Mathematics, Science and Art.

As part of their work with food, pupils are taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating.

Design and Technology encourages pupils to learn to think creatively to solve problems, both as individuals and as members of a team.

Learning in Action:

Design & Technology Documents

Pupil Voice:

Year 1
“I like DT as you can make new things.  We learnt how to make levers and how to decorate it so it would look good.   It worked well as I could make my lever move and it looked like my plan.”                                                                                                                                    
Year 2
“We learned how to make a puppet from the Three Little Pig’s story so we could use them to retell the story to Nursery.  We had to make a design and then we had to practise our sewing so we knew what to do.  At the end we had to say what we liked about our puppet and how we could make it better.“
Year 3
“We designed and made our own pencil cases.  We used separate pieces of fabric and we had to sew them together.  We used a running stitch and learnt how to do a blanket stitch.  We had done some sewing in Year 2 but that was easier.  Now we are able to use the sharper needles.“
Year 4
“I like DT lessons as we learn lifetime skills which we can use when we are older.  Linked to our work on the Mayans, we learnt about Cadburys and investigated different chocolates to see at what temperatures they would melt at. We then designed our own chocolate bars ready to make.  We had done some baking before so we knew how to cut with a knife and to be careful when using the stove to melt the chocolate.“
Year 5
“During our DT lessons, I really enjoyed learning how to make a Cam toy.  We found out that Leonardo Davinci made one of the first Cams.  To make the Cam toy work, you turn the dowel which moves the cam and then this moves the follower which then makes the object move.”                                                                                                                                     
Year 6
“I enjoy DT lessons as making new products is fun.  You learn new skills that you might use when you are older, like being a clothes designer or using tools to construct objects.  I particularly liked sewing this year as I learnt how to do a back stitch and blanket stitch.  We had done sewing in Year 4 so I already knew how to thread the needle.”                                                                  

Holden Lane is a small school with a big heart.

| Ofsted 2024

Why Holden Lane?

Our mission is to provide a stimulating and exciting learning environment that values and celebrates diversity, effort and achievement in all its forms, providing high quality experiences in all aspects of school life.
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Our Curriculum

We offer our children a balanced and broad education, giving them an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. In addition to covering the core national curriculum, our teachers develop exciting lessons to bring real life to the classroom by exploring creative topics from Food Glorious Food and the Animal Kingdom, to Vile Victorians and Ancient Egypt.

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Latest News

Here you can find a collection of our latest news. We aim to keep all stakeholders as up-to-date as possible.

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