Design and Technology (DT)

Linton Heights Junior School

Design and Technology

Intention, Implementation and Impact statement

 Intent

The Design and technology scheme of work aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers. We want pupils to develop the confidence of drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective of their work and the work of others. Through our planned lessons, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives. Encouraging pupils to become resourceful and aware of the impact our footprints leave on our planet. Our Design and technology scheme of work has aims aligned to the national curriculum and enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment. At Linton Heights Junior, we teach a condensed design and technology curriculum that allows us to focus on the key strands of learning from year 3 to year 6. We have chosen particular areas to adapt in order to ensure we are using all opportunities and resources of our local area and our closest city.

Implementation

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 and Technical knowledge

There are 6 areas of learning that the children will cover across their time at Linton Heights:

• Cooking and nutrition, Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems, Structures, Textiles, Electrical systems, Digital world

Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group.

Through Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme, pupils respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. 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.

The Kapow Primary scheme 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 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. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

We have chosen to teach Design and Technology in two main ways that are dependent on the unit of learning. The learning can be taught through whole days or through weekly lessons that culminate in a two hour block of study. The whole day learning enable pupils to delve deep into a project where they can fully focus on the intention of the project. The weekly lessons allow for the theoretical study to take precedent and for design and evaluating to have their. The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit.