Coppice Farm Primary School

INTENT - what does the D&T curriculum intend to do?

The aims of teaching Design & Technology in our school are to ensure that all children are:

• encouraged to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.
•  enabled to build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users.
•  encouraged to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.
•  enabled to understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.
•  encouraged to complete tasks independently and confidently.
•  receive enhanced learning and develop cultural capital through purposeful trips, activities and workshops.
• able to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others, to become resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens.

IMPLEMENTATION – How is the curriculum implemented?

Children explore key concepts as they move through the school. Our curriculum is laid out in such a way that the children will initially learn about their Design Technology encompassed in their knowledge and understanding of the world. This will be a starting block in EYFS and built upon as they enter Key Stage 1. Once this is consolidated, they will gain a wider experience of the designing, making and evaluating of products. As a child moves through our school, their knowledge and understanding will deepen as it would have been built on the foundations laid in the previous years. The concepts that children explore are revisited in different units that include mechanisms, electrical systems, food & nutrition, textiles and structures (more information on these strands below), allowing children to apply new knowledge to the concept in order to prepare them for future learning and life. 

This is implemented through:

• A well thought out, whole school, yearly overview of the D&T curriculum which allows for progression across all year groups in all areas of D&T (textiles, mechanisms, structures, food and electrical systems)
• Each project from Year 1 to Year 6 addressing the principles of designing, making, and evaluating and incorporating relevant technical knowledge and understanding in relevant contexts.
• Well planned and resourced projects providing children with a hands-on and enriching experience
• A range of skills being taught ensuring that children are aware of health and safety issues related to the tasks undertaken
• Teachers having detailed medium-term plans which they can deliver weekly or in a block of lessons to allow the time needed for the children to be critical, inventive and reflective on their work.
• Pupils being introduced to specific designers, chefs, nutritionists, etc. helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and increase the cultural capital from which they can draw in the future.

IMPACT - what progress will Children make?

Children will have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology that they will then apply to other areas of the curriculum. Through carefully planned and implemented learning activities the pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world. They gain a firm foundation of knowledge and skills to see them equipped to take on further learning in High School.

At Coppice Farm we are able to measure the impact that Design & Technology has had for all children by;

• Assessment by the class teacher, throughout lessons to determine the extent to which objectives are met and a summative assessment at the end of each unit.
•  Feedback to the Design and Technology lead to inform of any further areas for curriculum development, pupil support and/or training requirements for staff.
•  The creative outcomes across the wider curriculum. 
•  Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
•  Regular book reviews by the Design & Technology lead and opportunity for discussions with class teachers on their children’s work.