Intent

Through a well-planned, progressive Design and Technology curriculum, our pupils develop the key knowledge, skills and understanding needed to confidently engage in the process of designing and making. When designing and making products with a real-life purpose, they develop their creativity and imagination, solve problems and build their technical knowledge. Like the rest of our curriculum, Design and Technology learning is challenging and purposeful with opportunities for children to make choices, work independently and with others. 

Through the process of 'Research, Design, Make, Evaluate', the KAPOW curriculum is designed to enable pupils to learn key technical knowledge, skills and understanding needed to succeed in creating their own products. We provide lots of opportunities for individual choice in the designs and products they make, encouraging creativity not just in design, but also in ways to improve their product. We teach our children to be reflective and the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of their product, suggesting improvements. To support them with this, our children are challenged to be resourceful and apply the knowledge, skills and understanding they have acquired previously.  

Cooking and nutrition are also featured in our Design and Technology curriculum, ensuring children know where food comes from, how to make a range of healthy dishes and why it is important to make healthy life-choices. 

Teaching Design and Technology

Our Design and Technology curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and is taught through our engaging topics. Within Design and Technology lessons, we give children the opportunity to work individually, in pairs and in group situations. Children use a wide range of materials and resources, and are taught how to use tools and equipment safely and responsibly. Teachers teach the safe use of tools and equipment and insist on good practice prior to starting the making part of a task. For example in relation to sharp objects, such as knives and needles; and personal hygiene when handling food, such as washing their hands and wearing a clean apron. Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to develop a range of knowledge and practical life skills that pupils will be able to apply to their experiences in the wider world. 

Implementation

 The National curriculum and Kapow scheme organises the design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings: Design, Make, Evaluate, and Technical knowledge.

Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. There are six key areas of the learning which include:

 ●Cooking and nutrition 

 ● Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems

● Structures

● Textiles

● Electrical systems (KS2 only)

● Digital world (KS2 only)

Through Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. 

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. 

Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary. 

Impact

Our children will have a clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. They will have gained a foundation of knowledge and practical life skills that they will be to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary 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, 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.

 

National curriculum in England: design and technology programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)