KS1 Design and Technology Report Comments (Years 1-2)

Design and technology covers designing products for a user and purpose, making with tools and materials, evaluating products and ideas, technical knowledge of structures, mechanisms and (in KS2) electrical systems, and cooking and nutrition.

Below are 9 sample sentences for KS1 (Years 1-2): one strength and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Extending / Confident / Developing / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 119 design and technology sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Extending · Confident · Developing · Beginning · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Extending E

Strengths

Using templates and mock-ups, [Name] plans a product carefully and adjusts the shapes before cutting the final pieces from card or fabric.

Next step

A further challenge would be to combine two mechanisms, such as a slider and a lever, in one model and explain how the two parts move.

Confident C

Strengths

[Name] uses templates confidently to cut card and fabric shapes, joining them with glue, tape or split pins to make a model.

Next step

A next step is to try joining materials in new ways, such as using a running stitch on fabric or making a hinge from tape.

Developing D

Strengths

[Name] is working on cutting card and fabric around a template and sometimes uses tape or glue to join the pieces.

Next step

Using a template and a model to follow will help [Name] cut out shapes more neatly and join them in the right order.

Beginning B

Strengths

Using practical resources, [Name] is beginning to explore how a slider or lever makes part of a picture move.

Next step

Making a simple slider or lever picture with an adult, then showing a partner how it moves, would be a useful next step.

Support at home

Asking your child how an everyday object works, such as a peg, a tin opener or a bicycle, encourages them to think like a designer.

How to write design and technology comments for KS1 (Years 1-2)

Mention who the product was for and how the child chose a design: talking through ideas, drawing a labelled picture or using a template. Designing for a user is at the heart of KS1 D&T.
Name the mechanism or joining method, such as a slider, a lever, wheels and axles, split pins or tape. Parents can then help build the same thing from boxes and tubes at home.
For cooking, describe a simple dish the child helped prepare and what they know about where food comes from or a healthy, varied diet, rather than whether they liked the taste.

Watch out: Avoid judging only how the finished product looks. A wobbly model may show strong design thinking, so describe the planning, testing and improvements the child made as well as the result.

The scale describes how independently the child shows the learning. Extending suits independently, applies it in new contexts and explains reasoning; Confident suits usually and with occasional support; Developing suits sometimes, or with a model or word mat; Beginning names what the child does with adult support. Show the point through one piece of learning rather than writing the scale word itself.

What Design and Technology covers

In these comments, design and technology covers these behaviours:

designs purposeful, functional, appealing products using design criteria
selects and uses tools, equipment and materials to make products
evaluates existing products and own ideas, and improves them
applies technical knowledge of structures and mechanisms (and electrical systems in KS2), and prepares food with an understanding of a healthy diet

More UK primary subjects comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.