Design Technology

INTENT:

The intention of our Design Technology curriculum is to provide opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident and successful learners, with high aspirations, who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society. 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 St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School, 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. The children are also given opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate past and present design technology, its uses and its effectiveness and are encouraged to become innovators and risk-takers.

At St Stephen’s Catholic Primary, we want our curriculum to encourage children to be interested in design technology as a subject in the future. We intend that children should master Design and Technology to such an extent that they can go on to have careers within Design and Technology and make use of Design and Technology effectively in their everyday lives. Our children will be taught Design and Technology in a way that ensures progression of skills, and follows a sequence to build on previous learning.

IMPLEMENTATION:

Organisation and Curriculum Coverage

Teachers create a positive attitude to Design Technology learning within their classrooms and reinforce an expectation that all pupils are capable of achieving high standards in the subject. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of Design Technology involves the following;

• Design Technology is delivered through lessons developed by Kapow. The scheme ensures progression of skills and covers all aspects of the Design and Technology curriculum.
• Within Key Stage 1, children will explore textiles, mechanisms and structures to develop their technical understanding.
• Throughout Key Stage 2, children will continue to build on and extend their knowledge gained in Key Stage 1 and additionally include electrical components and computer programming within their products.
• Heathy cooking is integral to all Key Stages. Not only will children learn how to cook safely but also consider food’s nutritional value. Children will look at where food comes from and how it is produced, packaged and transported.
• The Kapow units are 4 weeks long and have 4 sessions within the topic. The expectation is that three DT topics are taught over the year per year group.

• Each unit of work follows the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Technical knowledge underpins each area of the design process and will become noticeable throughout each of the strands.
• When designing and making, the children will be taught to:

Design

Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups. Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design.

Make:

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing) accurately.

Select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Evaluate:

Investigate and analyse a range of existing products. Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work. Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world.

Technical Knowledge:

Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures. Understand and use mechanical systems in their products. Understand and use electrical systems in their products. Apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

Cooking and Nutrition:

Pupils will be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. An aim to promote a love of cooking for the future generations to come will be instilled throughout, allowing the children to prepare meals for themselves and others. A progression of skills will be followed throughout. The understanding of where food comes from and learning the basic principles of healthy and varied diets to prepare meals in Key Stage 1. To then apply and understand their knowledge of healthy and varied diets in Key Stage 2, creating predominantly savory dishes using a range of cooking techniques. Understanding the seasonality and sources of their chosen dishes, and where their ingredients come from.

• Our Design Technology curriculum has been designed as a spiral curriculum with the following key principles in mind: cyclical (pupils return to the same skills again and again during their time at St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School), increased depth (each time a skill is revisited it is covered with greater complexity), prior knowledge (upon returning to a skill, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build on previous foundations.)
• Activities should be planned to meet the needs of all pupils. Differentiation is achieved through careful planning and organisation. Learners should be supported and challenged to progress within Design Technology. Differentiation enables all students to engage in the curriculum by providing learning tasks and activities that are tailored to their needs and abilities. Pupils are encouraged to work in groups or individually, where appropriate. .
• Within Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, children complete work in their Design Technology book and pictures or videos will be added to Seesaw or Tapestry.
• Teachers ensure that the quality and variety of language that children hear and speak are key factors in developing their Design Technology vocabulary.
• Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual knowledge and skills, and assess pupils regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all pupils keep up.

IMPACT:

The successful approach to Design Technology results in a fun, engaging, high-quality curriculum, that provides children with the foundations and knowledge for understanding the world. At St Stephen’s Catholic Primary School, children will be equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their future learning and be innovative and resourceful member of society. Children will ultimately know more, remember more and understand more about Design Technology, demonstrating this knowledge when using tools or skills in other areas of the curriculum and in opportunities outside of school.

The expected impact of following Kapow 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.
• Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes.
• Have an appreciation for key individuals, intentions, and events in history and today that impact our world.
• Recognize 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 Technology.