Design & Technology
Design Technology Intent
At Walworth School we aim to ‘significantly improve the quality of all our children’s lives’ delivering a rich and varied curriculum that meets the requirements of the National curriculum whilst meeting our overarching curriculum intent of:
- Teaching pupils to have an awareness of how to be successful learners.
- Helping children to possess the appropriate knowledge and skills to develop independence.
- Supporting pupils to develop a good understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen.
Our curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They have been developed from an exploration of the backgrounds of our pupils, our beliefs about high-quality education and our values. They are used to ensure we give our pupils appropriate yet ambitious curriculum opportunities. We recognise that many of our children have had limited opportunity for creativity or craft development. We therefore plan to offer them wide and varied opportunities to develop their cultural capital within a design and technology context. Cultural capital gives our pupils the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British values. Which helps the children to develop into responsible citizens. This has a direct impact on ensuring that our children are prepared for adulthood. It gives them an understanding of how design and the technologies associated with it both has shaped our history and reflects our development as citizens contributing to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Good quality exposure to design and technological opportunities give children the chance to express themselves creatively, which contributes to their emotional well-being and fosters an awareness of a sense of wonder. It enables them to enjoy and engage in learning through new modes of personal expression. Design and technology contributes towards personal growth, and an emphasis on chances to cultivate creativity will develop skills that compliment other learning areas.
Our Design and technology curriculum is designed to help pupils to become creative thinkers, whilst giving them time to master the skills needed to express their creativity practically. The aim is to inspire pupils and develop their confidence in experimenting and creating their own designs. To build their confidence in taking design risks. To use the opportunities presented by the curriculum to become reflective learners who can evaluate their own work and the work of others, respectfully and effectively. Following our long term plan, pupils gradually progress in their expertise and understanding enabling them to meet the end of key stage attainment targets within the national curriculum within the 5 strands:
- Design
- Make
- Evaluate
- Technical knowledge
- Cooking and nutrition
Children will build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and be encouraged to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who have skills that can continue to contribute towards the advancement of our nation.
The teaching of subject specific vocabulary is an important aspect of the design and technology curriculum, contributing to better reasoning and inference skills, academic success / employment and better well-being. Children will also be exposed to a variety of designers and forms of technology that will widen their understanding of technology and the impact it has on society.
Design Technology Implementation
Our curriculum schema design is based on the National Curriculum, utilising the Kapow scheme of work. It allows for spaced repetition, overlearning over time and allows opportunities for retrieval of previously learned content through the use of sequential lessons, allowing for previous learning to be revisited and built upon. Long term plans have taken into account when other topics occur and shaped the planning to compliment other foundation subjects, making intra-curricular links and strengthening the overall learning of pupils. At each stage the processes are underpinned by technical knowledge that encompasses the contextual, historical and technical understanding required for each design and technology strand. Through following this schema, pupils will have several opportunities throughout their time in the school to respond to design briefs that require consideration of the needs of themselves and others and will develop their skills across 6 key areas:
- Mechanisms
- Structures
- Textiles
- Cooking and nutrition (Food)
- Electrical systems (KS2)
- Digital world (KS2)
Access to the design and technology curriculum is the right of all our children and we apply the principles of equal opportunity in provision. We recognise the significant impact that this learning can have on a child and their understanding of the world around them, which is why Design and technology is taught discreetly in weekly lessons for 3 half terms a year, alternating between design and technology and art and design (another subject that explores our curriculum drivers in a similar way). During this time pupils can readily access the previous learning and have time to develop their skills and explore their own creativity.
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. Pupils are supported in each unit to build a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Use of the Kapow scheme provides support to teachers who may lack confidence in their own abilities with design and technology. Teachers have access to videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. It is the aim that through this all teachers will feel confident in delivering high quality art and design lessons and so that pupils are able to view and learning from high quality modelled examples, that ensure pupils progress across the school
Planning, accessed through the Kapow scheme of work, has been adapted and organised to ensure that the subject is specific whilst allowing for cross curricular links to be made where appropriate, which enhance the overall learning process. Topics are fully scaffolded and sequenced learning to supports pupils to explore their own creativity through independently making their own creative choices and decisions, justified by the high levels of knowledge gained.
Lessons are practical in nature and differentiated guidance ensures that lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Topics are also designed to build knowledge of techniques learned, including the skills processes, key facts and vocabulary.
Design Technology Impact
Because learning is a change to long-term memory, it is impossible to see impact in the short term. We do, however, track progress over time to evaluate the impact of our practice. This means that we look at the practices taking place to determine whether they are appropriate, related to our goals and likely to produce results in the long run.
Formative assessment is used to help teachers plan progression and meet the individual needs of children. Teachers also use the iASEND assessment tracking tool to help evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. This relates to the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Design and Technology. This in conjunction with work samples and lesson observations will enable the subject lead to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum.
Following our Design and Technology curriculum will offer pupils the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills whilst enhancing their cultural capital, creativeness and emotional well – being. It will help them to broaden their horizons and pursue a wider range of interests into their adult lives.
