Intent

At Isle of Ely Primary School, Design and Technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. They acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils 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.

 

Our aims and objectives are drawn from the National Curriculum for Design and Technology to ensure that all pupils:

  • 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
  • Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
  • Encourage children to select appropriate tools and investigate different techniques for making a product, whilst following safe procedures
  • Begin to understand about the characteristics of different materials and the use of simple mechanisms
  • Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook
  • Acquire and develop designing and making skills; working with confidence in a stimulating, educational environment.

Implementation

At Isle of Ely, we have chosen to teach DT by using the Kapow scheme of work. Kapow is a clear and comprehensive scheme of work in line with the National Curriculum. This ensures there is a progression of skills and consistency of approach across the school whilst also ensuring  that teachers  and pupils are supported in developing skills and subject knowledge.The Design Technology National Curriculum and EYFS is planned for and covered in full within the EYFS, KS1 and KS2 school curriculum. Whilst the EYFS and National Curriculum forms the foundation of our curriculum, we make sure that children learn additional skills, have a depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding and enhance our curriculum as and when necessary.

  • Kapow offers full coverage of the KS1 and KS2 Design & Technology curriculum and we have categorised our content into five areas: Structures, Mechanisms, Electrical Systems, Cooking and Nutrition, Textiles. Aside from Electrical Systems, which is KS2 only, each of these acts as the focus for a topic within each year group:
  • There are then four strands that run through each topic: Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical Knowledge.
  • A range of skills will be taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken
  • Clear and appropriate cross-curricular links underpin learning in multi areas across the curriculum giving the children opportunities to learn life skills and apply skills to ‘hands on’ situations in a purposeful context.
  • Design Technology focussed displays celebrating the outstanding three dimensional creations on display throughout the school. These displays celebrate exceptional practice and exemplify terminology and vocabulary used.
  • Independent learning: In design technology children may well be asked to solve problems and develop their learning independently. This allows the children to have ownership over their curriculum and lead their own learning in Design Technology.
  • Collaborative learning: In design and technology children may well be asked to work as part of a team learning to support and help one another towards a challenging, yet rewarding goal.

Impact

  • Our carefully structured DT curriculum provides opportunities additional to the NC endpoints, to build cultural capital and, through exposure in DT lessons to life-skills such as innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in design and technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum.
  • 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 out of school.
  • The large majority of children will achieve age related expectations in Design Technology.
  • As designers children will develop skills and attributes they can use beyond school and into adulthood.