VISION AND INTENT

With a ‘Design, Make and Evaluate’ approach, we believe in equipping children with the product knowledge, creativity and skills needed for an ever-evolving society. 

We consider the work of craftspeople, designers and architects within real-life contexts. Children gain an understanding of products for the needs of others, themselves and for the future.   

Our project-based planning also considers global and local influences for food sources, design and functionality in everyday life.   

KAPOW

At Rangeworthy Primary, we use the Kapow scheme of DT which supports pupils to meet the national curriculum end of key stage attainment targets and has been written to fully cover the National Society for Education in Art and Design’s progression competencies. 

The Design and technology National curriculum outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition* has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. 

The National curriculum organises the Design and technology attainment targets under five subheadings or strands:

• Design 
• Make 
• Evaluate 
• Technical knowledge 
• Cooking and nutrition* 

The Curriculum overview shows which of our units cover each of the National curriculum attainment targets as well as each of the five strands.  

Through our 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) 
• Electrical systems (KS2) and 
• Digital world (KS2) 

Each of the 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 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. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary. 

PLANNING Aims

• Developing in children an understanding of the designing and making process, the need to evaluate existing ideas and products and an ability to work through the D&T process confidently. 
• Ensuring that by the end of key stage 2 children are able to work more independently, and with confidence on design and technology. 
• Ensuring that children are able to identify opportunities for design and technology activities by observing more closely the objects around them. 
• Making children more aware of the ways in which everyday objects have been designed and made.
• Enabling children to become more confident and skilled in using the range of tools and materials available in the school. 

Here are the main curriculum areas and learning points for our DT curriculum.

• Design 
• Make 
• Evaluate 
• Technical Knowledge 
• Cooking and Nutrition  

ASSESSMENT

Photographic evidence, examples of children’s work and design/evaluation materials are an essential record of an individual child’s experiences and ideas. Throughout the year and key stage these will be used as evidence for assessment and reporting purposes. Children will be provided with a Design and Technology folder when they join the school, and this will go with them as they move throughout the school, to show their progression.

Teachers can also obtain assessment evidence by direct observation of children at work, by questioning pupils or listening to their conversations.

Using the children’s work, photographic evidence and observations in lessons, teachers will then assess children for each unit. At the end of each academic year, teachers will also indicate whether a child is working at, above or below age-related expectations. 

CULTURAL CAPITAL AND ENRICHMENT

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a child can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a pupil will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work. 

In DT, Cultural Capital can be gained in many ways; 

• From the study of differing cultures and artists both internationally and locally. 
• Opportunities to create art from a wide range of topics including local, national, and international issues 
• Knowledge of local and international artists 
• Creating a link to the ‘self’ – becoming you. 
• Encouraging a curiosity about the world. 

Within DT planning and teaching, our teachers ensure they provide opportunities to promote the following: –

• Spiritual development: Through helping pupils to recognise their own creativity and the creativity of others. Art supports spiritual development by introducing children to the work of great artists and fosters awe and wonder at the achievements of these great works of art. They also experience great admiration and respect for their peers’ work when they see the level of achievement and progress.
• Moral development: Through helping pupils to reflect how Art affects the environment, so that they can make informed choices when planning and creating. Children have to act sensitively to others, showing an awareness of how they can be a critical friend and offer constructive criticism without being offensive.
• Social development: Through helping pupils to recognise the need to consider the views of others when discussing creative ideas, and by working on collaborative projects, making the most of different strengths and interests within a team. Discussion about what the artist is trying to portray and their opinions on the artwork are actively encouraged, in an atmosphere whereby children mutually respect and value each other’s opinions.
• Cultural development: Through exploring Art’s contribution to the quality of life within different cultures, and through valuing and reflecting on the responses of people from other cultures towards Art. The subject supports cultural development work by enabling children to study art involving various cultures and civilizations from around the world. They lead to a greater understanding of different ways of life and a respect for cultures that are very different from our own; how they can enrich our own lives. The fusion of art work between our own and other cultures leads to pupils incorporating designs, patterns and motifs in their own work developed by a deeper understanding of the culture.
• Mental Health: Through being able to recognise, acknowledge and express their own thoughts and feeling through their art work in a safe environment. It can be used to help manage behaviours, process feelings, reduce stress and anxiety and increase self-esteem. It can act as a tool to help relieve emotion or stress.

At Rangeworthy CofE we strive to offer the best possible learning opportunities for our children. To enrich our curriculum, we have carefully chosen experiences that allow our children to enjoy hands-on activities linked to their whole-class Art projects. We place great importance on educational visits and visitors to enhance the art curriculum. These trips, alongside various other strategies discussed above allow teachers to facilitate learning so that pupils can note connections, contrasts and trends over time and are more holistically developed to enter the world as wider informed individuals.