Intent

At our school, we aim to inspire pupils to become creative, innovative and reflective designers who can solve real-life problems through purposeful design and making. We provide the pupils with the knowledge, skills and confidence to design, create and evaluate products across a range of contexts, including structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and food technology. We encourage our pupils to take risks, learn from mistakes and apply their knowledge from other curriculum areas, particularly mathematics, science and computing. We want all pupils to leave our school with the creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world, while fostering an appreciation of how design and technology shape everyday life.

Implementation

The Kapow Design and Technology curriculum is structured around a sequence of units that develop pupils’ understanding of the design process through designing, making and evaluating, while also building technical knowledge across a range of contexts. Pupils explore key areas including mechanisms, structures, textiles, cooking and nutrition, and electrical systems, with learning carefully sequenced from Year 3 to Year 6. Progression is mapped across year groups so that pupils continuously revisit and refine their practical skills, technical knowledge and design thinking, enabling them to create increasingly complex and purposeful products, providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience. The range of skills taught ensures that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken. Pupils are introduced to specific designers, chefs, nutritionists, etc. help to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and increase the cultural capital from which they can draw in the future.

When teaching Design and Technology, teachers have ownership and flexibility to plan; often teaching Design and Technology as a block of lessons to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective in their work.

Impact

The impact of Design and Technology at our school is evident through the progress pupils make in their knowledge, skills and understanding over time. Through examining pupils’ work, observing learning in lessons and discussing learning with children, we see increasing confidence, creativity and technical competence across the curriculum. Pupils enjoy Design and Technology and recognise its value beyond the classroom. They understand not only how to design, make and evaluate products, but also why these skills are important. Children develop an appreciation of the role Design and Technology plays in everyday life, its contribution to innovation throughout history, personal wellbeing, the creative and cultural industries, and the wide range of careers it supports.

As pupils move through school, they build on prior learning and apply an increasing range of knowledge, practical skills and design processes. They become more independent, make informed decisions, solve problems creatively and reflect critically on their work. This is evident in the way they discuss their designs, justify choices, evaluate outcomes and articulate improvements. Evidence of impact is gathered through ongoing observation, the pupil's voice and the quality of work produced. Progress is demonstrated not only in final outcomes but also in the important record of the design process, including research, planning, modelling, testing, evaluating and refining ideas. Children are able to talk confidently about what they have learnt, share their work with pride and explain how their knowledge and skills have developed over time.

Ultimately, our Design and Technology curriculum equips pupils with the creativity, resilience and practical skills needed for future learning and life beyond school.