Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. We aim to inspire pupils and develop their creativity and imagination. Pupils will design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Throughout their time at Gilded Hollins, pupils will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Children will learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design and technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Intent

The Design and technology scheme of work we follow, written by ‘Kapow’, 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 scheme of work, 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. Our Design and technology scheme of work enables pupils to meet the end of key stage attainment 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.

Implementation

Our Design and technology scheme follows four main stages of the design process:

Design

Make

Evaluate

Technical knowledge

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.

Our Design and technology scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these strands and key areas across each year group. Our National curriculum overview shows which of our units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the four strands.

Our Progression of skills shows the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.

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 at Gilded Hollins:

Cooking and nutrition

Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems

Structures

Textiles

Electrical systems (KS2 only)

Digital world (KS2 only)

To extend our curriculum, we invite ‘Classroom Kitchen’ (a paid for experience) into school to broaden our pupils’ understanding of the topic. This has become an extremely important resource for us and is a highlight for the pupils, giving our children a unique and engaging experience.

Through our 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.

At Gilded Hollins, we implement a spiral curriculum, with key areas revisited 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, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiation is used in 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.

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust Design and technology curriculum. The scheme of work we use at Gilded Hollins supports teachers, as each unit of lessons includes multiple teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD.

Child-led learning is integral to the Early Years curriculum, and rightly so. Supporting children in following and exploring their own interests allows for a greater depth of learning and understanding and much higher levels of wellbeing and engagement. Adults in the classroom can model how to use Design and technology to aid children in their pursuits and scaffold the learning so that they can reach a deeper level of understanding. We know that the difficulty with child-led Design and technology projects often arises when the pupils are not equipped to properly plan their creation or execute their ideas in the way that they wish, sometimes meaning that they will spend a very short amount of time at the workshop or junk modelling area before moving on.

Planning, designing, making and developing skills and knowledge are all fundamental parts of our Design and technology scheme. As they work through our EYFS reception units, children will have plenty of opportunities to get to know each of these areas, as they explore different materials, processes and outcomes. When pupils are accessing these areas outside of lesson times, it is our job to support and scaffold their learning, offering suggestions or listening to their ideas. Rather than creating artificial learning opportunities during these times of child-led play, instead we wait until we observe that a child or group of children have shown a particular interest in a topic. Teachers then offer to help them enhance their chosen area of exploration by providing additional resources, demonstrating how to use existing resources or even using the computer.

Impact

Our scheme of work is designed in such a way that children are involved in the evaluation, dialogue and decision making about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they need to make. By taking part in regular discussions and decision-making processes, children will not only know facts and key information about Design Technology, 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.

Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge organiser which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit. Because of this, pupils will 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:

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.

Monitoring, Standards and Progress:

Design Technology has discreet skills and specific knowledge that is taught over the course of the year and can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Teachers compare children's progress against the expectations outlined within these progression grids and outcomes are recorded on our school tracking grid annually.

In DT, the children use project booklets, DT workbooks, photographs and displays as an ongoing resource. As the work contained within their workbooks is built upon by each child, so their progression is shown and can monitored throughout school.

Photographs, work sampling and evidence of whole class display work is collected throughout the year – also allowing monitoring of children’s work and progression.

Pupil Voice

“Classroom Kitchen was really good because you learn how to make food and eat it at the end”. - Year 3

 “I love making things because I can use my imagination and take it home when it is finished.” – Year 1

“When we make things that we have designed, you get to test it and see how good it is compared to others.” – Year 6

Where to now? Recent developments, highlights and priorities for future developments 2023-2024

1) To begin to use 'Kapow' as our main curriculum.

*Staff have created new lesson plans revolving around 'Kapow' curriculum

*Knowledge organisers used to ensure children understand what will be taught during lessons

*Staff and children fed back that the new lessons and curriculum are enjoyable, creative and helping foster a love of learning and recollection of skills and knowledge

2) Conitinue to utilise 'Classroom Kitchen' to ensure implementation of food technology.

*Like last year, all classes made food both in class and with ‘Classroom Kitchen’ during the year including salads, cakes, stews and pizzas

*Children are fully aware of safety, product design, ingredients and are given evaluations at the end of their sessions to show understanding

Priorities for future development 2024-2025

*Create resource list for 'Kapow' lessons

*Create 'Quizlets' to monitor progress for all children 

.*Ensure DT workbooks show progression through lessons and skills