Curriculum Intent

At South Borough Primary School, we believe that design and technology (D&T) is a significant subject in the context of the wider world. With many technological advances taking place all of the time, children need to be exposed to this subject so that in the future they seek out careers in this field. With this in mind, we wish to excite and inspire children through our D&T curriculum. We encourage them to think innovatively and to bring skills from maths, science, computing and art to their work in D&T. Our aim is to give children opportunities to build skills which later in life, can help them contribute to society as a whole.

Curriculum Implementation

At South Borough we use Kapow Primary’s Design and technology scheme to teach Design and Technology. Kapow has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within the five strands of the national curriculum (Design, Make, Evaluate, Technical knowledge, Cooking and nutrition.)

These curriculum plans build upon the foundations developed in the Early Years Foundation Stage. In Reception, the curriculum focuses on providing children with a range of materials for children to construct with. Encouraging them to think about and discuss what they want to make. Create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills. Discussing problems and how they might be solved as they arise. Reflecting with children on how they have achieved their aims.

Through Kapow 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 six key areas: : Mechanisms, Structures, Textiles, Cooking and nutrition (Food - taught every academic year), Electrical systems (KS2) and Digital world (KS2).

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. The Kapow Primary scheme is 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 who learn in different ways. Lessons, where appropriate, may be differentiated 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.