DT

At Laycock Primary School we aim to inspire our pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who develop technical, practical and imaginative skills to perform everyday tasks confidently. We want all our children to build skills to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts. Children will learn the value of considering their own and others needs, wants and opinions, and how this allows them to critique, evaluate, and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Through our progressive curriculum, we aim to build an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourage our pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will take their skills throughout their life.

Our Design and Technology curriculum inspires our children to create, experience, and participate in great arts and culture. It enables children to meet the end of key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum. In Early Years we provide opportunities for pupils’ to work towards the Development matters statements and the Early Learning Goals.

The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the main stages of the design process: Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. These strands include: Cooking and Nutrition, Mechanical Systems, Textiles, Electrical systems, Structures and the Digital world. The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under four subheadings:

• Design

• Make

• Evaluate

• Technical knowledge

Our schools progression overview documents show the skills and knowledge that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage. Design and Technology 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. Every lesson is adapted to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.

The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. We aim for all our pupils to leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society.

By the end of their time at Laycock they will be able to:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources. 

• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products. 

• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios. 

• Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment. 

• Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world. 

• Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues. 

• Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve. 

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology. 

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.