Design & Technology 

Intent

We value Design & Technology as an important part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Our scheme of work aims to inspire our children 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.

Our chosen scheme (Kapow Primary) is an Artsmark partner, which inspires children and young people to create, experience, and participate in great arts andculture.

Implementation

The Design and technology National curriculum outlines 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. 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 subheadings: Design, Make, Evaluate, and Technical knowledge. Our scheme uses these subheadings as the following primary strands:

● Design

● Make

● Evaluate

● Technical knowledge

Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and this one of the 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 Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group.

Through our scheme, 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 the 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 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. 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.

Impact 

Our chosen scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. An assessment spreadsheet including the learning outcomes for children with secure understanding and those working at greater depth enables teachers to keep records of summative assessments for each child.

After the implementation of  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 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.

Please click here  to see our Whole School Long term topic plan for Cycles A & B.