Design Technology

Design and Technology

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent – What do we want our children to learn?

At Ashleigh, we believe that Design and Technology (DT) is an essential part of providing a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum. We aim to inspire children to become creative, confident and independent problem-solvers who can design and make purposeful products to meet real and relevant needs.

Our DT curriculum is underpinned by the National Curriculum for Design and Technology and delivered through Kapow Primary, ensuring that children develop the creative, technical and practical knowledge needed to participate confidently in an increasingly technological world.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that knowledge and skills are progressively developed from EYFS through to Year 6. Children revisit key concepts and build upon their previous learning, developing increasing independence, accuracy and confidence in designing, making and evaluating products.

We aim to develop children's understanding of significant inventors, designers and technological developments that have helped shape the world around us.

At Ashleigh, our aims for Design and Technology are:

• To develop children's creativity, curiosity, resilience and problem-solving skills through meaningful practical experiences.
• To ensure children develop the knowledge and skills to design, make and evaluate purposeful, functional and appealing products.
• To teach children how to select and use a range of tools, materials, components and techniques safely and effectively.
• To develop children's technical knowledge and understanding of structures, mechanisms, mechanical systems, textiles, electrical systems and digital technology.
• To develop an understanding of healthy eating, nutrition, food preparation and cooking, including where food comes from and the importance of seasonality.
• To ensure that all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), can access an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that enables them to achieve their potential.

Ultimately, we want children to leave Ashleigh with the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to approach challenges creatively, make informed decisions and apply their learning to everyday life.

Implementation – How do we teach Design and Technology?

At Ashleigh, Design and Technology is taught throughout the school, beginning in the Early Years Foundation Stage and continuing through Key Stages 1 and 2.

We follow the Kapow Primary Design and Technology scheme of work, which supports the delivery of the National Curriculum through engaging, practical and carefully sequenced learning opportunities.

Our whole-school DT curriculum overview ensures that children experience a broad range of projects and develop their knowledge and skills progressively as they move through school.

Our curriculum covers six key areas:

• Structures
• Mechanisms and Mechanical Systems
• Textiles
• Electrical Systems
• Digital World
• Cooking and Nutrition

These areas are revisited across the school, allowing children to build upon previous knowledge, develop increasingly complex practical skills and apply their understanding in different contexts.

Our teaching is underpinned by the four key strands of the National Curriculum: design, make, evaluate and technical knowledge.

Children are encouraged to investigate existing products, identify their purpose and consider the needs of the intended user. They develop and communicate their ideas before selecting suitable tools, materials and techniques to create their products. Throughout the design process, children are encouraged to test, evaluate and refine their ideas, recognising that making improvements is an important part of designing.

Progression of Knowledge and Skills

Our whole-school curriculum overview demonstrates how learning builds progressively from Reception to Year 6.

In EYFS, children develop early practical skills through exploring materials, constructing, joining and preparing food. Projects such as making boats, bookmarks and soup provide opportunities to develop creativity, fine motor skills and early problem-solving.

In Key Stage 1, children develop their understanding of the design process through projects including simple stitching, sliders, levers, smoothies and constructing a chair for a bear. They begin to make decisions about materials and techniques and evaluate their finished products.

In Lower Key Stage 2, children build upon these foundations through increasingly challenging projects, including wearable technology, Egyptian collars, electrical products, mechanical cars and adapting recipes. They develop greater technical understanding, independence and accuracy.

In Upper Key Stage 2, children apply their knowledge and skills to more complex challenges, including gears and pulleys, bridge structures, developing recipes, designing bags and creating electrical steady-hand games. These projects encourage children to work with greater independence, justify their design decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of their products.

Throughout the curriculum, children also learn about significant individuals and events in the history of design and technology, including Benjamin Franklin, Karl Benz and the development of important inventions. This helps children understand how technology has evolved and continues to influence everyday life.

Inclusive Teaching and SEND

We are committed to ensuring that all children can access and enjoy Design and Technology.

Teachers adapt learning to meet individual needs through strategies such as visual instructions, practical demonstrations, breaking tasks into manageable steps and offering additional adult support where appropriate.

These adaptations enable children with SEND to access the same key learning concepts while developing independence, confidence and practical skills at an appropriate level.

Through regular opportunities to revisit and apply previously taught knowledge, we aim to ensure that learning is remembered, strengthened and built upon throughout each child's time at Ashleigh.

Impact – What difference does our curriculum make?

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is reflected in the knowledge, understanding, practical skills and confidence that children develop throughout their time at Ashleigh.

We aim for children to become enthusiastic, creative and increasingly independent learners who enjoy the process of designing, making and evaluating products.

As a result of our carefully planned and progressive curriculum, we aim for children to:

• Demonstrate a secure and developing understanding of the key knowledge and skills taught across the different areas of DT.
• Confidently apply the design process to create purposeful products that meet specific needs.
• Apply their technical knowledge to explain how products work and suggest ways to improve them.
• Evaluate their own work and the work of others, using appropriate subject-specific vocabulary.
• Demonstrate an understanding of healthy eating, nutrition and food preparation, applying practical cooking skills with increasing confidence.
• Show resilience, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving when faced with practical challenges.

By the end of Year 6, we aim for children to have developed the knowledge and practical skills outlined in the National Curriculum, preparing them for the next stage of their education and providing them with valuable skills for everyday life.

Our ultimate aim is for children to leave Ashleigh as confident, resourceful and imaginative learners, equipped with the technical knowledge, practical skills and creative thinking needed to succeed in an ever-changing world.

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