Intent:

What does the Design and Technology curriculum intend to do?

At Crane Park Primary School, we recognise that Design and Technology prepares children to take part in the development of today’s rapidly changing world. This subject encourages children to become independent and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. This creative thinking encourages children to make positive changes to their quality of life. Through the DT curriculum, children are inspired by engineers, designers, chefs and architects, which enables them to create a range of structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food products with a real-life purpose.

By the time children reach Year 6, they are confidently performing everyday tasks and applying their knowledge, and an increased level of skills in their learning. They are on the way to becoming risk takers and innovators and will have used a range of tools, resources and materials, including the use of IT, to create effectively constructed and aesthetically pleasing results. This, along with a strong focus on the importance of evaluation, allows children to adapt and improve their work, providing them with not only a sense of achievement but a strong foundation for the next step of their learning and a key skill for life.

Implementation

How is the curriculum implemented?

We follow a broad and balanced Design and Technology curriculum that builds on previous learning and provides both support and challenge for learners. The Kapow Design and Technology scheme covers all aspects of the Design and Technology curriculum. It is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, which ensures the progression of skills.

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.

Pupils develop their skills in six key areas: Mechanisms, Structures, Textiles, Cooking and Nutrition, Electrical Systems (KS2) and Digital world (KS2).

The Kapow Primary 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.

Impact

What progress will children make?

Our children enjoy and value Design and Technology and know why they are doing things, not just how. Children understand and appreciate the value of Design and Technology in the context of their personal wellbeing and the creative and cultural industries and their many career opportunities. Progress in Design and Technology is demonstrated through regularly reviewing and scrutinising children’s work to ensure that progression of skills is taking place, observing how they perform in lessons or talking to them about what they know. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit.

The Design and Technology curriculum is contributing to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. This would be seen in them being able to talk confidently about their work, and sharing their work with others. Progress will be shown through outcomes and through the important record of the process leading to them. 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.