Town Close School - Norwich's finest prep school for Boy's & Girls - 3 to 13 Years.
Toggle Menu
  • Home
  • Admissions
    • Admissions & Registration
    • Admissions Enquiry Form
    • Registration Form
    • Open Mornings & Private Tours
    • Download Close-Up
    • Fees, Registration Fees and Payments
  • About
    • Pre Prep Department and Nursery
    • Prep Department
    • Our Aims and Values
    • Facilities
    • Key Information
    • Safeguarding our Children
    • Inspection Report
    • Academic Performance and Scholarships
    • Extra-Curricular Activities
    • Activate
    • Regulatory Information
    • Staff & Governors
    • Vacancies
  • Payments
  • Development
  • Alumni
  • Contact
Town Close School - Norwich's finest prep school for Boy's & Girls - 3 to 13 Years.
Toggle Menu
  • Home
  • Admissions
    • Admissions & Registration
    • Admissions Enquiry Form
    • Registration Form
    • Open Mornings & Private Tours
    • Download Close-Up
    • Fees, Registration Fees and Payments
  • About
    • Pre Prep Department and Nursery
    • Prep Department
    • Our Aims and Values
    • Facilities
    • Key Information
    • Safeguarding our Children
    • Inspection Report
    • Academic Performance and Scholarships
    • Extra-Curricular Activities
    • Activate
    • Regulatory Information
    • Staff & Governors
    • Vacancies
  • Payments
  • Development
  • Alumni
  • Contact
Visit the School
Home » About Town Close School » Prep Department » Design and Technology
Design and Technology

Design and Technology

Aims

In DT we encourage all children to develop creativity and to solve problems. Whether enjoying constructing wooden structures in Year 3, programming control software in Year 6 or racing an electric vehicle in a national competition in Year 8, pupils learn skills which should help them to embrace technological aspects of their ever-changing world.

We aim to:

  • provide practical opportunities for all children to experience successful creative outcomes
  • encourage innovation and problem solving while working from a shared design brief
  • develop designing and making skills, knowledge and understanding to the best of each child’s ability, using a range of tools, materials and components safely
  • allow pupils to begin to understand the ways in which people have designed products in the past and present to meet their needs

Organisation

Head of Department – Mr M Buck

All children from Year 3 to Year 8 enjoy DT lessons weekly and are taught by specialist teachers in our well-equipped workshop. This features a range of dedicated tools and equipment which allow pupils to develop progressive skills and techniques.

Content

The varied Design and Technology curriculum places a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. Children are encouraged to communicate about their ideas and to reflect and improve them, sometimes while collaborating with peers.

Pupils learn about structures and simple mechanisms, while several of their projects incorporate electrical circuits. Other projects encourage them to consider product design and the needs of users. Computer Aided Design is introduced from Year 5 and in the coming years this will include the older classes experiencing 3D printing.

Activities and projects allow pupils to learn and understand the working characteristics of a variety of materials including wood, card, fabric and plastics. Learning how to work safely goes hand-in-hand with increasing complexity of equipment as the pupils progress through the school.

Practical work takes precedence. Pupils additionally plan work using sketches and diagrams, and evaluate some manufactured products to help them implement improvements into their own. It is expected that the children will use their imagination, think for themselves and innovate, suggesting ways in which things can be done.

Trips and Events

The School is a leading participant in the Greenpower Trust’s exciting STEM initiatives. Racing electric cars constructed at School, our Year 6 pupils compete in Formula Goblin and Year 8 race in F24 (for 11 – 16 year olds). Girls and boys have raced at notable venues such as Silverstone and worked with engineers, including from Lotus Cars, to develop performance while learning about sustainable engineering. Town Close has been a hub for developing the projects in many other Norfolk schools, while achieving results that include 3rd in category at the International Finals.

In this section

  • About Town Close School
  • Pre Prep Department and Nursery
    • Little Acorns Nursery
    • Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS Nursery and Reception, Ages 3-5)
    • Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2, Ages 5-7)
    • Learning Support Department
    • The Royal Society – Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists
  • Prep Department
    • Art
    • Computing
    • Design and Technology
    • Drama
    • English
    • Games
    • Geography
    • History
    • Learning Support Department
    • Mathematics
    • Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
    • Music
    • PSHE and RSE
    • Physical Education
    • Religious Studies
    • Science
    • The Royal Society – Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists
  • Our Provision – Information for Parents
  • Our Aims and Values
  • Facilities
    • The Performance Hall
    • Outdoor Learning
    • Swimming Pool
    • Sports Hall
    • Playing Fields
    • Astroturf
  • Key Information
    • Parent’s Handbook
    • Term Dates
    • Sample Menu
    • Second Hand Uniform
    • Making Payments
    • Termly Fees and Other Charges
    • Public Benefit
    • School Plan and Directions
  • Safeguarding our Children
  • Inspection Report
  • Academic Performance and Scholarships
  • Extra-Curricular Activities
  • Activate
  • Regulatory Information
  • Headmaster's Newsletter
  • Alumni
  • Staff & Governors
  • Vacancies
Useful Links
  • Key Information
  • Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
  • Headmaster's Newsletter
  • Academic Performance and Scholarships
  • Pre Prep Department and Nursery
  • Prep Department
  • Extra-Curricular Activities
  • Contact
  • Download Close-Up
  • Admissions & Registration
  • Our Aims and Values
  • News
  • Facilities
  • Activate
  • Vacancies
Follow us on
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Login Areas
  • Pupil Dashboard
  • Staff Dashboard

Town Close Educational Trust Ltd
© 2021 Town Close Co-Educational Preparatory School

14 Ipswich Road
NR2 2LR, Norwich, Norfolk
Telephone: 01603 620 180

Registered Charity No. 311293
Registered Company No. 940118
Terms of Use - Privacy Policy

  • Town Close
  • @townclose
  • @townclosetrips
  • town.close.school