Design Technology
Intent:
At our school, we intend to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through design concepts, modelling and testing and to become reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our curriculum we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design achievements.
Our Design and technology scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those in the National curriculum. EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils’ to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals.
Implementation:
At Ladypool Primary, we follow a design and technology curriculum that builds on previous learning and provides both support and challenges for learners. Every year group has a scheduled Design and technology block of learning each half term.
The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each of the design stage process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality.
The National curriculum organises the design and technology attainment targets under four subheading or strands:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and we have made this one of our six key areas that pupils revisit throughout their time in primary school:
- Cooking and nutrition
- Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems
- Structures
- Textiles
- Electrical systems (KS2 only)
- Digital world (KS2 only)
Our progression of skills shows the skills that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure the attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.
Our Design and technology curriculum allows pupils to respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in six key areas:
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and nutrition
- Electrical systems
- Digital world
Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning.
Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.
Impact
The impact of the Design and technology curriculum is monitored through assassin children against the key objectives at the end of each half term.
After the implementation of our Design and technology, pupils should leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.
The expected impact of following our Design and technology curriculum is that children will:
- Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
- Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
- Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
- Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.
- Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
- Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.
- Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.
