DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY RATIONALE
At Pensilva Primary School Design Technology is taught under the umbrella of a cross-curricular curriculum using ‘Kapow’. We want our children to be exposed to and have a strong understanding of how Design Technology impacts the world around them and its wider context. It is our belief we are teaching the next inventors, creators, engineers, architects and chefs and want to embed a passion and belief that they can learn and grow skills and techniques that will provide exciting and creative job opportunities in their futures. Children have opportunities to explore designers from all over the world and different industries learning the processes that achieve the end products be it houses, cars, tin openers or vacuum cleaners. We challenge them to look at the world they live in and identify what is missing or what could be improved, then support them to research, learn techniques and skills to create, test and evaluate products they make themselves.
All children at Pensilva Primary School have the opportunity to develop a love of design and will be supported to express their creativity in a rigorous and practical way.
By the end of Key Stage 1 we want our children:
- To be aware of a variety of designers.
- To have a basic understanding of combining materials for a purpose and specific outcome and function.
- To be aware and begin to have skills to use tools and equipment for a purpose.
- To have confidence to evaluate a range of ideas including their own.
- To have explored, tested and improved structures and mechanisms.
- To have a basic understanding of nutrition and healthy foods.
By the end of Key Stage 2 we want our children:
- To be aware and have knowledge of past and present designers both locally and from around the world.
- To be inspired and intrigued by products and designers.
- To understand the 4 processes of DT – Design, Make, Evaluate and Technical knowledge.
· To use relevant and technical language linked to DT.
- To have been taught the knowledge, understanding and technical skills of using tools and digital programs to make prototypes.
- To be rigorous in their research of products and the users’ needs.
- To be brave and risk taking in their design and making.
- To have confidence to critique, evaluate and test their ideas or products in the wider environment.
- To have knowledge of nutrition and experience of creating and cooking a healthy dish.
Essential characteristics:
• Significant levels of originality and the willingness to take creative risks to produce innovative ideas and prototypes.
• An excellent attitude to learning and independent working.
• The ability to use time efficiently and work constructively and productively with others.
• The ability to carry out thorough research, show initiative and ask questions to develop an exceptionally detailed knowledge of users’ needs.
• The ability to act as responsible designers and makers, working ethically, using finite materials carefully and working safely.
• A thorough knowledge of which tools, equipment and materials to use to make their products.
• The ability to apply mathematical knowledge.
• The ability to manage risks exceptionally well to manufacture products safely and hygienically.
• A passion for the subject and knowledge of, up-to-date technological innovations in materials, products and systems.
Implementation
All teachers follow Kapow lessons to ensure progression throughout the school. The Kapow Design and Technology Scheme of work follows the National Curriuculum’s three main stages of the design process; design, make and evaluate. There are five strand of the Design Technology curriculum These are:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
- Cooking and nutrition
Across the year children respond to design briefs and scenarios that consider they needs of others. This develops their skills in six key areas:
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and Nutrition (food)
- Electrical systems (KS2)
- Digital World (KS2)
By following this scheme, we can ensure all strands are revisited in every unit building on knowledge and skills in each year group. Key skills are revisited again and again with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model. This allows children to revise and build on their previous learning.
Lessons incorporated paired and group work, practical hands-on, computer based and inventive tasks. This ensures all children have access to the lessons and they are engaging and appeal to those with different learning styles.
Alongside this our children are introduced to a range of engineers, architects and chefs to provide them with examples of careers.
Impact
Our children will be equipped with a range of skills and techniques to form a strong foundation for their Design Technology learning as the move on to their next school. They will be innovative and resourceful members of society and be aware of the careers available to them.
Progression in Design Technology is monitored through regularly reviewing children’s work and sketchpads, drop ins of lessons and discussions with the children.