Intent
At J H Godwin primary school, .we endeavour to provide all children with a purposeful, progressive, language rich DT curriculum, utilising the Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme of work which 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. Through our curriculum, 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.
targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those in the National curriculum. EYFS (Reception) units provide opportunities for pupils to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals. We make sure that our curriculum is engaging and inclusive of all, encouraging children to be creative and experimental throughout their time at the school and beyond.it.
Implementation
This will be done in the following way:
Progressive Subject Coverage
Teachers will use the scheme of work in line with National Curriculum 2014. 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, and Technical knowledge. We have taken these subheadings to be our Kapow Primary strands:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
- Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and we have made this 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)
J H Godwin’s curriculum has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group.
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. It is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited again and again with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning.
Outstanding Practice in lessons: Teachers will use their flair, enthusiasm, and professional judgement to identify the most sensible, enjoyable and safe methods for the work being conducted. Activities will be planned and delivered in such a way as to encourage full and active participation by all children irrespective of ability or educational need, gender or ethnicity. Pupils with particular ability and flair for Design and technology who work more quickly through the levels of the National Curriculum are extended through the use of supplementary work and children requiring
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. Where possible lessons are practical in nature, encouraging experimental and exploratory learning. Lessons are adapted in every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access the learning and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers are used for each unit to support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Kapow provides expert support to ensure teachers feel confident in their own design and technology abilities. Pupil videos created by subject specialists help pupils to see DT techniques modelled by experts, to ensure the delivery of DT is of the highest quality.
First-Hand Experience and use of the Wider Environment: Priority is given to first- hand experience of concepts and pupils are given opportunities to develop their DT skills.
Vocabulary Saturated Environments: DT vocabulary is directly taught and modelled through Word Aware Strategies.
Timetabling: DT is usually blocked into a series of lessons, as we have found the children become engrossed in the project and can explore the resources more successfully.
Impact
Evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make is encouraged By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about art, but they will be able to talk confidently about their own learning journey, have higher metacognitive skills and have a growing understanding of how to improve.
The impact of the curriculum is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Unit quizzes are used at the start, throughout and the end of each unit to assess how well the children are learning and to identify where extra support/ learning is required.
After the implementation of Kapow Primary Design and technology, pupils should 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.
The expected impact of following our Design and technology scheme of work is that children will be equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society. The 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.
- Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.