Lower Key Stage 2

Under each skill area heading we have listed the skills we will be teaching to your children in lower Key Stage 2.

Designing

Year 3

Gathering information about wants and needs.

Describe the purpose of their products and the intended user.

Year 4

Developing their own design criteria and using them to inform their ideas.

Indicate design features that will appeal to intended users.

Making

Year 3

Select suitable tools and materials and explain in relation to techniques.

Order the main stages of making.

Assemble and join components with some accuracy. Use a range of finishing techniques from art and design.

Year 4

Explain choices of materials according to functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Evaluating

Year 3

Identify strengths and areas for development in their products.

Use their design criteria to evaluate their completed products.

Explore: how products are designed, made, what materials and components are used, how well they work.

Year 4

Identify strengths and areas for development in their ideas and products.

Refer to design criteria as they design and make.

Explore: who/where/when designed a product, how well does it achieve its purpose, can it be recycled?

Technical Knowledge - Cooking and Nutrition

Year 3

To learn key skills such as weighing, sieving, rolling, shaping.

To learn about classes cultures through food and cooking.

To be experimental and try a range of new foods from around the world.

To follow more complicated recipes with a wider range of ingredients.

Year 4

To learn about traditional British dishes.

To use the bridge hold to cut harder foods using a serrated vegetable knife.

To explore different ingredients, making suggestions for recipes.

To know how to plan and shop for a meal with some support.

Technical Knowledge - Textiles

Year 3

Identify different forms of textiles e.g. felt, cotton, hessian, binca.

With support, thread smaller-eyed needles using finer thread.

Learn and begin to use a wider variety of stitches e.g. cross stitch and blanket stitch, with support.

Stitch directly onto fabric, following a pattern or design.

With support, cut and shape fabric, following a pattern or design.

With support, join two pieces of fabric together using taught stitching methods.

Gather and pad a range of fabrics and textiles.

Year 4

Show a developed awareness of and name a range of different fabrics and textiles.

Cut and shape fabric, following a pattern or design.

Explore simple weaving techniques to create a pattern, showing an understanding of the process.

Technical Knowledge - Construction 

Year 3

To explore how to make structures stronger and more stable.

To discuss and experiment with strengthening and reinforcing materials.

To select from and accurately use a selection of tools and materials to make a bridge, following a unified design.

Year 4

To confidently explain why a certain material has been chosen for the project.

To understand properties of materials and which materials would be a good choice for the project.

To confidently use a wide a range of tools and equipment independently and to know which tools are needed for each element of construction.