“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like- Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs
INTENT
To support our teaching of Design and Technology (D&T), we use Kapow Primary.
This quality scheme provides opportunities for children to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
Our Design and Technology scheme 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, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. We aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality.
The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
There are six key areas that children revisit throughout their Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and this is one of our six key areas that pupils revisit yearly. The six key areas are:
- Cooking and nutrition
- Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems
- Structures
- Textiles
- Electrical systems (KS2 only)
- Digital world (KS2 only)
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 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.
St. Finian’s STEAM Club: We have our own STEAM club after school every Friday (science, technology, engineering, art and maths) led by a parent scientist. Groups of children in upper KS2 work towards an exciting design project each half term. Projects include planning, constructing and evaluating products. Some examples include- building rockets, go-karts and light sabres.
We also have a 3D printer permanently located in our Art room for specific project work.
IMPACT
The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme is monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. After the implementation of Kapow Primary Design and technology, pupils leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.
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, CAD, 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.