Curriculum Intent

At Istead Rise Primary School we believe that Design and Technology is a significant subject in the context of the wider world. With many technological advances taking place all of the time we need children and young people to seek out careers in this field. With this in mind, we wish to excite and inspire children through our DT curriculum. We encourage them to think innovatively and to bring skills from maths, science, computing and art to their work in DT. Our aim is to give children opportunities to build skills which later in life, can help them contribute to society as a whole.

The national curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
• build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
• critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Curriculum Implementation

Design and Technology focuses on producing functional products that can be useful, and it encourages children to think creatively for a specific purpose. Teachers at Istead Rise follow the Kapow Scheme of Work which covers all National Curriculum aims. Our children are able to build upon skills they’ve learnt each year as they move through the school.

We teach DT in alternate terms, with the other terms being dedicated to art. Lessons are delivered in a sequential fashion, allowing children to progress from the research stage to initial designs and to the final product with guidance and encouragement from their teachers. During these termly blocks, we teach textiles, cooking and construction (of functional products) according to the Kapow Long Term Plan. At the start of each unit, children are given a Knowledge Organiser to use which allows them to reflect and revisit concepts and skills being taught.

The school provides a stimulating learning environment which provides children with the materials they need to succeed in this subject. Children are also taught how to evaluate their own work and to take part in peer assessment with other pupils. Learning is recorded in the appropriate manner according to the stage of product development e.g. initial designs may be in a sketchbook or on paper.

Teachers assess children’s progress throughout the various stages of designing and making products and offer immediate verbal feedback to ensure that children are aware of what they are doing well and to offer them ideas on how to improve. By allowing children to develop their design skills independently, every child from every background is given the opportunity to realise