Design and Technology
Intent
At Monksmead School, we want to inspire our pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation and evaluation. We want our pupils to develop the confidence to take risks through drafting design concepts, modelling, testing, and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. We aim for our pupils to build an awareness of how Design and Technology has an impact on their lives and encourage pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.
Implementation
In EYFS, within Expressive Arts and Design, children will have the opportunity to explore and use media and materials. They will be taught to safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Children will also be encouraged to be imaginative, using what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about their uses and purposes. Children will also have opportunities to represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology. Within Physical Development, children will learn how to handle equipment and tools effectively (Moving and Handling).
In KS1 and KS2, 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 five strands: Design, Make, Evaluate, Technical Knowledge and Cooking and Nutrition.
Our school uses the Kapow Primary D&T scheme of work to implement Design and Technology into our curriculum. The scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within the five strands across each year group. Through implementing the scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in four key areas
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and Nutrition (Food)
*The skills covered in Electrical Systems and Digital World for KS2 are incorporated into our Computing and Science curriculum.
Each of the 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 Kapow Primary scheme of work is a spiral curriculum, with key areas visited 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 and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Impact
The intended impact of the teaching and learning of Design and Technology at Monksmead School follows our school drivers:
- Self-Awareness – Through problem solving activities and self-evaluation, children will become more aware of their own ability to persevere through challenges, show resilience and a can-do attitude when they come across set-backs, be willing to self-improve and to take pride in what they’ve achieved.
- Embrace differences – Children will be inspired by and encouraged to hear about key designers and inventors from a wide range of ethnicities, languages, cultures, disabilities and other forms of diversity. In turn, this will help the children to embrace their own and each other’s differences.
- Ambitious to take the next step – Children will be creative, resourceful and innovative thinkers who are not afraid to take risks. Through self-evaluation and a growth mindset, they will show perseverance and a can-do attitude towards solving any problems or obstacles that come their way.
- Worldy-Wise – Children will have a strong understanding of how Design and Technology has helped shape the ever-evolving technological world they live in and understand its impact on daily life as well as the wider world. They will be inspired by what they have learnt and will want to learn more.