Design and Technology
Our Vision
- To ensure children have a high-quality education in design and technology.
- To develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, confidence and sense of curiosity to engage in the process of designing and making
- To develop techniques to design and build a product for a particular purpose within a variety of contexts.
- To develop critical understanding and the ability to question and evaluate the success of a product considering its impact on daily life and the wider world.
Intent
Design and technology is a crucial part of school life at Pennington C of E Primary School, so we are dedicated to the teaching and delivering of a high-quality curriculum that empowers our children to be creative, resilient and independent.
We ensure that the Early Years Foundation Stage and national curriculum requirements are met. We use the Kapow progressive scheme in Key Stage 1 and 2. The children develop transferable knowledge, skills and understanding explicitly within design technology lessons and in the wider curriculum.
An adaptive and responsive teaching approach is used to ensure that SEND, disadvantaged and more able children are given as much support as possible to reach their full potential in every lesson.
Implementation
We implement this by having a well thought out, yearly overview of the DT curriculum which allows for clear progression across all year groups in all areas of DT (textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems). The teaching of DT is consistent and offers challenge to all. We celebrate progress and make sure children know how to move on their next steps.
We address the principles of designing, making and evaluating, incorporating technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts. This work is displayed in individual books in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and in the Learning Journey for each class.
Teachers link prior knowledge to new learning to deepen children’s learning. The design process is rooted in real life, relevant contexts to give meaning to learning. At the end of each unit, children are assessed using quizzes. We use both formative and summative assessment information in design and technology lessons. This is collected through direct observation, discussion with pupils and pupil self-assessment opportunities. This is recorded on Scholar Pack using emerging/expected/exceeding grids.
Impact
Our approach to the curriculum results in a fun, engaging, and high-quality DT education. The quality of children’s learning is evident in their individual books and in Learning Journeys. Evidence such as this is used to inform teachers’ future planning and enables them to revisit misconceptions and knowledge gaps in DT when teaching other curriculum areas. Through carefully planned and valuable earning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently so that they are feel confident in technological world.
The children leave Pennington with a secure foundation of knowledge and skills so that they can continue to progress at secondary school and beyond.