Intent

At Helmdon Primary School we intend to build a Design Technology curriculum which is inspiring, practical and relevant in our increasingly technological world. We want our children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs. We want our children to become problem solvers, think independently and develop good technological knowledge.

Our DT curriculum aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. We want our Design and Technology lessons to prepare our children for success in later life.

Implementation

Design and Technology is delivered through:

• Weekly DT lessons over 3 half terms per year, or blocked into whole days where appropriate

• A well thought out DT curriculum using the Kapow scheme which allows for progression across year groups in all areas of DT

• Well planned projects providing children with hands-on experience

• A range of skills being taught with an awareness of health and safety issues related to the tasks being key

• English, Maths, Science and Computing skills embedded into lessons so children can apply the skills they have learnt in a purposeful context

• Each project addressing the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating key knowledge and technical understanding

• Pupils being introduced to specific designers, architects, chefs, etc. helping to promote an appreciation of human creativity and achievement

The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings. The Kapow scheme for Design and Technology uses these subheadings as the primary strands:

● Design

● Make

● Evaluate

● 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. Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and is therefore one of our 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)

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. 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. Lessons are adapted where necessary to ensure all lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.

Impact

Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology and will develop skills that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Pupils will develop the creative, technical and practical skills needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in a technological world. They will gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills which will see them equipped to take on further learning in secondary school and use into adulthood as innovative and resourceful members of society.