Streethouse Primary School

  Design and Technology 

Design & Technology encourages children to express their creativity, takes risks and become more resourceful and innovative. Pupils are able to develop a crictical understanding of the impact of design and technology on daily life and the wider world. Using their creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, consiering their own and others' needs, wants and values.

Intent

At Streethouse the intent of our Design & Technology curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all and that will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement in the area of Design Technology. At our school 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. Our children will gain experience and skills of a wide range of formal elements of design and concepts of technology in a way that will enhance their learning opportunities, enabling them to use design and technology across a range of subjects to be creative and solve problems, ensuring they make progress.

National Curriculum

Key stage 1 - Pupils should be taught:

• to design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria 
• to generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology 
• to select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing] 
• to select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics 
• to explore and evaluate a range of existing products 
• to evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria Technical knowledge 
• tobuild structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable 
• to explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their products

Key Stage 2 - Pupils should be taught to:

• to 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 
• to generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design 
• to select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately 
• to 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
• to investigate and analyse a range of existing products 
• to evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work 
• to understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world 
• to apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures  understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages] 
• to understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors] 
• to apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their prod

Implementation

At streethouse we follow Kapow which provides a broad and balanced Design and Technology curriculum that builds on previous learning and provides both support and challenge for learners. Our design technology curricuulum is broken into four key strands which run throughout our scheme of work:

• Design - develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
• Make - 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.
• Evaluate - critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
• Technical Knowledge - understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

Kapow's curriculum develops pupil's progress and understanding in Design and Technology through regularly reviewing children’s work and ensuring that the progression of skills is taking place. The Design and Technology curriculum will contribute to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. Children will be able to talk confidently about their work, and share their work with others.

We want to ensure that Design and Technology is embedded in our whole school curriculum and that opportunities for enhancing learning by using design and technology are always taken. Our scheme of work has been designed as a spiral curriculum with key principles in mind:

• Pupils return to the key areas again and again during their time in primary school,
• Each time a key area is revisited it is covered with greater complexity.
• Upon returning to each key area, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build upon previous foundations, rather than starting again.  

Impact

The impact of our design and technology curriculum can be constantly monitored by looking at pupils’ work, especially over time as they gain skills and knowledge, observing how they perform in lessons and talking to them about what they know. Throughout each lesson, teachers can assess pupils against the objectives and at the end of each unit there is post assessment where teachers can assess children's learning. This will help identify gaps in the children's learning and how to fill these. Children should be able to comment on, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others and be able to plan and prepare meals that are healthy and nutritious. Children should enjoy and value Design and Technology and know why they are doing things, not just how. Children will understand and appreciate the value of Design and Technology in the context of their personal wellbeing and the creative and cultural industries and their many career opportunities. 

Children should leave primary school with a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users. Children should be equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and to enjoy and appreciate design and technology throughout their lives.

The expected impact of following Kapow Primary Design and Technology scheme of work is that children will:

• Produce creative designs and products, exploring and recording their ideas and experiences.
• Be able to design, create and evaluate a range of products.
• Aquire and develop technical vocabulary and be able to use it in the correct contexts.
• Develop a critical understanding of design and technology and be able to understand its impact.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Design and Technology.