Intent – What does Design and Technology look like at Bratton Primary School?
At BPS, we believe that design and technology helps to prepare children for the developing world and encourages them to become curious and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Through the study of Design and Technology, they combine practical skills with an understanding of aesthetic, social and environmental issues. Design and technology helps all children to become discerning and informed consumers and potential innovators. It provides children with a greater awareness and understanding of how everyday products are designed and made.
Why Design and Technology is important?
Design and Technology is important at BPS because it builds core skills and expertise that can equip our pupils throughout their life and career. Design and Technology is an inspiring and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. Pupils acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. Pupils learn how to take risks and innovative. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life in the wider world.
Implementation – How is our Design and Technology curriculum enriched at Bratton Primary School?
Design and Technology knowledge and skills are taught explicitly in dedicated blocks of time. We follow the Kapow scheme of work which provides full coverage of the National Curriculum whilst ensuring a clear progression of knowledge and skills. The Kapow Scheme provides opportunities for children to discover design in Cooking and Nutrition, Mechanisms and Mechanical Systems, Electrical Systems, Digital Worlds, Structures and Textiles. Where appropriate, links are made to subjects such as Science, Art and Maths.
In EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 Design Technology is taught in single year groups. When children move in to Key Stage 2 we follow a 2 year mixed year group rolling programme where our Year 3 and 4 children work together and our Year 5 and 6 children work together.
Impact – Ultimately our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to:
- Raise our aspiration through studying designers of the world around us, understanding that we too can make a difference.
- Celebrate diversity through learning about the rich variation of lives and works of those people who make that difference.
- Improve our vocabulary through learning and using subject specific language when we explain our ideas and thinking.
- develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
- 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
- critique, evaluate and test our ideas and products and the work of others
- Promote our health and wellbeing through learning about how to eat healthily in our food technology work.
- Have clear enjoyment and confidence in Design and Technology, developing skills that we are able apply to other areas of the curriculum.