Design and Technology
Design Technology Curriculum Statement
We have chosen Kapow Primary as our scheme of work to ensure all children at Blackthorns build a good foundation for future skills and knowledge progression. The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to build on their previous learning.
Our aims for Design Technology are that pupils receive a consistently high-quality teaching and learning while experiencing a range of techniques and materials. Further information about the Kapow Design and Technology curriculum can be found on their websitehere.
Curriculum Intent
The design and technology scheme of work aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.
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
The Design and technology National curriculum outline the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand.
We have taken these subheadings to be our Kapow Primary strands:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. There are six key areas that pupils revisit throughout their time in primary school:
Cooking and Nutrition
Where food comes from, balanced diet, preparation and cooking skills. Kitchen hygiene and safety. Following recipes.
Structures
Material functional and aesthetic properties, strength and stability, stiffen and reinforce structures.
Electrical Systems (KS2 only)
Operational series circuits, circuit components, circuit diagrams and symbols, combined to create various electrical products.
Digital World (KS2 only)
Program products to monitor and control, develop designs and virtual models using 2D and 3D CAD software.
Textiles
Fastening, sewing, decorative and functional fabric techniques including cross stitch, blanket stitch and appliqué.
Mechanical Systems
Mimic natural movements using mechanisms such as cams, followers, levers and sliders.
The Design and technology National Curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process. Each stage pivots around technical knowledge and is woven into the sequence of lessons. Our Design technology lessons are designed to enable our children to become innovative young thinkers, be creative and learn to take risks. They will be able to consider how present and past designs develop their understanding of their impact on daily life and the wider world that we live in.
Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. Throughout the DT curriculum, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas.
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.
Design – during this stage the children will learn:
- To carry out meaningful research.
- To consider design criteria for an audience and/or user.
- To create and generate ideas through sketching and annotating.
- How to develop their ideas using templates and pattern pieces.
- How to consider models and prototypes for their designs.
- To create cross-sectional and exploded diagrams.
- To be innovative – look at how it will be fit-for-purpose and consider functional product solutions to design problems.
Make – during this stage the children will learn:
- To select and use appropriate tools and equipment.
- To understand and select materials and components (including ingredients) based on their aesthetic and functional properties.
- To carry out practical tasks with increasing accuracy and precision.
- To understand the importance of, and follow the health and safety rules.
Evaluate – during this stage the children will:
- Explore existing products.
- Evaluate against a list of design criteria.
- Evaluate, investigate and analyse existing products.
- Evaluate their own and others’ ideas.
- Understand how key events and individuals have helped to shape the world of D&T.
- Consider feedback to make improvements.
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. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust design and technology curriculum. Each unit of lessons includes multiple teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. Kapow Primary has been created with the understanding that many teachers do not feel confident delivering the full design and technology curriculum and every effort has been made to ensure that they feel supported to deliver lessons of a high standard that ensure pupil progression.
Impact
The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit.
After the implementation of Kapow Primary 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 the Kapow Primary Design and technology scheme of work 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.
How do we assess Design Technology?
Formative assessment and feedback takes place throughout each unit and lesson which supports children to understand how to develop their work. Kapow Primary uses an Assessment Quiz and Knowledge Catcher to be used as both a prior knowledge check and an end-of-unit assessment. National curriculum statements are used by staff to evaluate whether children are working at age-related expectations within the subject.