Intent

Through our design technology curriculum we seek to lay the foundations for pupils to flourish now and in the future ‘Sowing the seeds so all can flourish’. Our design technology is designed around our curriculum drivers and our values. Our curriculum is inclusive to support all pupils in the future as they develop their design knowledge and technical skills. It aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation. Every child should develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and by being reflective learners who evaluate their own work and their work of others. Our design technology curriculum aims to build an awareness of the impact design and technology has on our lives and encourages pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

Learning is delivered through five strands;

• Designing
• Making
• Evaluating
• Technical knowledge
• Cooking and nutrition

As we support pupils to become life-long learners we aim to ensure pupil are up–to-date with the latest knowledge and current issues so they develop firm foundations which will help them in future learning. Innovative, creative and relevant lessons will help pupils to have a better understanding of and access to design and technologies. Our curriculum will be regularly reviewed to remain relevant as technology develops. We want our children to have the knowledge and skills to flourish in later life, to feel prepared, to give them the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences they need to be successful in the future.

 

Implementation

We use Kapow Primary to support teaching and learning. This is based on the National Curriculum requirements and provides good support to non-specialist teachers. It sets out a clear progression of skills and knowledge in each strand of learning this starts in Early Years and builds sequentially through school to prepare pupils for the Key Stage 3 curriculum. Units of work are planned and sequenced carefully to ensure adequate recap and retrieval in our mixed aged classes.

All pupils are given opportunities to respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas of the Kapow design technology curriculum. Our design technology curriculum ensures key areas are 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 allows children to have access to a variety of lessons that are engaging.

We have a range of resources and materials. These are used in discrete design technology lessons and across the wider curriculum. We plan opportunities to link learning across subject as it enhances motivation and allows pupils to apply skills already taught. We also plan opportunities for children to learn about design technology in different environments and contexts, for example school visits from local engineers and design companies from the local area.

Teachers model the use of materials and techniques and processes taking into account children’s level of expertise. Children are given time to practise and apply their new skills using different materials and in different contexts, with increasing independence. We direct pupil’s attention to the main concepts, ideas and themes of the lesson and support children to retrieve previous knowledge and make links.

We teach explicit knowledge of how design technology has developed and evolved from the past traditional techniques, to more modern processes and how these fit into society and the wider world. We focus on key designers and engineers and their impact on the current technologies and how they influenced future creatives.

Pupils work is recorded in individual sketch books that continue with each child through the school. Photographs of children’s work are also taken and stored on the electronic storage system and are also displayed in classrooms, corridors, class books and shared with parents on social media. This supports teachers to help pupils to recall and retrieve prior learning and helps knowledge to stick. Summative assessment is made against the key ‘sticky knowledge’ in each unit of work. Recap and retrieval through future learning ensures that the key knowledge is embedded.

 

Impact

Our well sequenced curriculum will prepare children to be independent, confident, and imaginative artists with the knowledge and skills to be creative in different contexts. They should have a good understanding of designers, from the past and present, local, national and global creatives and traditional and modern techniques and processes.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary Art and design 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

We measure impact through:

• Summative assessment
• Discussions with pupils
• Observations of learning
• Reviewing their understanding including different artistic techniques, processes and materials
• Lesson observation and feedback from the subject leader
• Analysis of sketch books, photographs and creative work
• Pupil voice