‘Design and technology gives young people the skills and abilities to engage positively with the designed and made world and to harness the benefits of technology.  They learn how products and systems are designed and manufactured, how to be innovative and to make creative use of a variety of resources including digital technologies, to improve the world around them. (DT Association)’

At Leigh Primary we use Kapow to support our delivery of the Design Technology Curriculum. We aim to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation of the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation. We encourage children to  be confident enough to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling and testing with continual reflection and evaluation of their own work and that of others. Through our units of study which focus on structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems (KS2), cooking and nutrition as well as the digital world (KS2) we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology in their world and how it impacts our lives. We hope that in doing so we will inspire children to be resourceful, enterprising citizens who will develop skills to contribute to future design  and technological advancements.

• Design Technology National Curriculum
• Design Technology Unit and Progression Plan 2023-2024

 Implementation

 We implement our curriculum by structing each unit in 3 stages: design, make and evaluate.  At each stage children are taught and explore technical knowledge that align with each strand. Our cooking and nutrition units focus on specific principles such as skills and techniques in food preparation, where food comes from as well as diet and seasonality.

We teach in units over a 2 year cycle to ensure curriculum coverage and progression of skills so that children securely meet the National Curriculum requirements by the end of each Key Stage and have opportunities to revisit skills.

 Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and team tasks which include practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. We use knowledge organisers to support children in recalling key knowledge, facts and vocabulary that they can apply in their product design and production.

 We teach DT on a Year A and B cycle with all children completing 4 units of work a year across different disciplines.  We deliver a sequenced curriculum ensuring that past skills can be revised and built upon each successive year ensuring secure progression.

 Strong subject knowledge is vital for the teaching and learning of Design Technology and therefore each unit of work provides videos and CPD to ensure that a robust curriculum can be delivered.

 Impact

 Throughout the year the teachers monitor the children’s progress and engagement in Design Technology through pupil voice, visiting lessons and reviewing outcomes in all stages of each unit.

Pupil’s and adults use knowledge organisers to create fun quizzes to aid retention of key knowledge and utilise unit quizzes and knowledge catcher exercises as a form of assessment to ensure that misconceptions can be addressed swiftly. 

 After implementation of our curriculum we aim for  our children to leave school equipped with the skills and knowledge to pursue their interests, feel confident in KS3 Design Technology and be innovative and resourceful members of society.

 They will:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry our different processes for shaping, decorating and manufacturing products.
• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovation which includes models, prototypes and CAD 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 of key individuals, inventions, and events in history to 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.
• Meet some of the Key Stage expectations outlines in the National Curriculum for Computing alongside our Computing Curriculum.

EYFS

Children have access to a variety of resources within their continuous provision that helps to both develop and consolidate knowledge, skills and understanding when designing and making within their own play. Children learn design technology through child and adult let activities linked to each topic indoors and outdoors and on a variety of scales.

 Children in EYFS have opportunities to learn to:

 Explore the textures, movement, feel and look of different media and materials.

• Respond to a range of media and materials developing an understanding that they manipulate and create effects with these.
• Use different media and materials to express their own ideas.
• Construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources.
• Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately .

Select appropriate resources for a product and adapt their work where necessary.

 Construction area: Children have access to a wide variety of construction kits where they can build, join, stack, balance and adapt their own constructions. 

Make and do area: children have the opportunity to use a variety of tools and techniques and processes and select and combine using a variety of materials. 

Funky fingers: We use tools and techniques used for design and technology such as scissors, punches, threading, sewing, hammering to develop those all important fine motor skills.  

Large loose parts construction: Outside the children have access to a wide variety of large scale resources such as, crates, drain pipes, tubes & planks giving them the opportunity to design make, adapt, problem solve, modify and put structures to the test together alongside their peers. 

Cooking Area: every term the children are given the opportunity to explore and make with food and also grow fruit and vegetables in the outside area.

 Cultural Capital 

Through our DT curriculum we support children to accumulate knowledge, behaviour and skills that they can draw upon to be culturally aware and support them in being successful in society as a student in secondary school and as they enter the world of work.  Our curriculum embeds opportunities to enhance children’s learning and experiences and understand how design technology  is contributes to their lives and the lives of people across the world.