Design and technology
Our Curriculum Threads
Our curriculum threads are woven through our DT curriculum as it:
Intent
Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Design and Technology encourages children to learn to think and intervene creatively to solve problems both as individuals and as members of a team. At Winkfield St Mary's, we encourage children to use their creativity and imagination, to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. We aim to, wherever possible, link work to other disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness. Children learn to take risks, be reflective, innovative, enterprising and resilient
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.
Implementation
Design and Technology is taught in KS1 and KS2 by class teachers under the subject leadership of Mrs. Hartland, using resources and schemes of work from Kapow. Using this scheme as a basis, we are confident that pupils’ skills are developing progressively and effectively through regularly taught and well-planned lessons.
The National Curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings:
Design,
Make,
Evaluate,
Technical knowledge
These subheadings are also Kapow’s Primary strands: The scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. Their National curriculum overview shows which units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the four strands.
Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and the Kapow scheme has made this one of 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
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. 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.
In the Reception class Design and Technology is covered in the ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ area of the Early Years Framework. While specific D and T ‘lessons’ may not be taught regularly, D and T is integrated into the classroom environment, with specific D and T areas and activities set up regularly to encourage child initiated D and T work and experimentation.
Impact
We ensure children;
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users and critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
- understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
Children will design and make a range of products. A good quality finish will be expected in all design and activities made appropriate to the age and ability of the child. Children learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present Design and Technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality Design and Technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.