Design and Technology 

Intent

At Chigwell Row we intend for our curriculum  to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks and so they are given opportunities to work independently and alongside others to plan, construct, and evaluate their ideas in a process that teaches them the importance of resilience and how to be successful. Children use their problem solving skills in a range of contexts, providing them with a variety of experiences and the opportunity to apply learned skills across different projects.

 

Implementation

Children at Chigwell Row learn through engaging lessons and projects which allow them to be curious, creative learners. In the Early Years the Kapow scheme is used to support the planning of activities for pupils related to the relevant topic. Where possible cross curricular links are made to match with the topic of learning, for example upcycling materials linking to our learning about recycling and the importance of community, and children are provided with opportunities to apply their creative skills within class provision. 

In Key Stage 1 Art and DT lessons alternate with one half term having an Art focus and the other half term having a DT focus. Lessons are taught using the Kapow scheme of work which considers the progression of skills from the Early Years through to KS1 and allows teachers to adapt their lessons accordingly. The scheme has been adapted to suit the schools rolling curriculum with a Year A and B cycle. 

Through each topic, children explore products, learn and apply skills and build knowledge to create structures, patterns and practical items (such as pots), teaching this with an understanding of context and history. Children also learn about different types of food with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. Through events such as D&T day, activities for Show and Tell, and cross-curricular links with food and health and fitness, the children are engaged and applying their skills across a range of contexts.

Impact

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught as well as during the lessons. 
  • Marking of work in books (plans, diagrams, evaluations) 
  •  Images and videos of the children’s practical learning.
  • Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)
  • Low stake quizzes within lessons
  • Adult questioning and prompting
  • Observations of the pupils’ abilities during the creation of different projects

    dt topic overview template.pdf