Design and Technology

The Intent, Implementation and Impact of Design and Technology at Seascale Primary School

Intent

Seascale School is driven by inspiring pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who understand the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation.

At Seascale School our intent is to encourage children’s natural curiosity and for them 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 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.

Seascale School aims to ensure all opportunities and experience provides full coverage and development of skills and that all children are engaged and inspired by our present world.

Implementation

In EYFS, children develop their compassion for the environment and love for the world in preparation for their Key Stage 1 and 2 learning journeys. Using the ‘Understanding the World’ Early Learning Goal children are taught to question aspects of their familiar world as well as to show care and concern for their immediate environment and further afield which we enhance with visits to the local area and tending to our school garden.

The KS1 and KS2 Design and Technology curriculum is delivered using the Kapow scheme, which ensures that all children progress through the intended skills to prepare them for the future. Design and Technology topics are taught to include 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 Kapow Primary scheme is based on “Projects on a Page” and is a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revisit and build on their previous learning. Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies engaging and appealing to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiation is available and knowledge organisers support building a foundation of factual knowledge incorporating key facts and vocabulary.

Design and Technology is usually taught in a block planned for by the class teacher. There is one DT project per term and the teacher will decide on the most appropriate time to deliver the learning. We include the application of computer science in D&T by challenging pupils to improve the effectiveness of their products and ensuring that their design and makes reflect the design and technology they encounter in the wider world.

Impact

After the implementation of Kapow Primary Design and Technology, pupils at Seascale School 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.

Teachers are able to monitor the impact of curriculum by using formative and summative assessment opportunities. Quizzes and knowledge catchers are used at the start and or the end of the unit and teachers track progress using the skills tracker.