Design Technology

INTENT

The intent of Pensby Primary School’s Design Technology (DT) curriculum is to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum in order to provide an ambitious, broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum that allows our children to  develop their skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. Our curriculum encourages children’s creativity and encourages them to think about important issues such as the quality of the products they are using, as well as the health and safety requirements of the equipment they use.

IMPLEMENTATION

At Pensby Primary School, we use the ‘Kapow Primary’ scheme of work to teach DT. This enables our teachers to deliver creative, inspiring and engaging lessons that follow a clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Curriculum leaders have worked with class teachers to link aspects of DT to other subject areas where possible and such links allow our children to make connections between subjects and solve real and practical problems. 

Lessons are taught in blocks or as discrete lessons and this is dependent on the unit of study taught. Children use their sketchbooks to demonstrate their creativity and practical skills when designing, making, evaluating and developing their technical vocabulary and knowledge.  Skills taught within DT units aim to build resilience, independence and teamwork as children test their ideas, refine their work, and learn from their mistakes. Lessons also develop essential practical skills, from using tools safely to understanding materials, mechanisms, structures, and simple electronics. By making learning engaging and purposeful, DT fosters curiosity, confidence within a range of subject areas.

 IMPACT

The impact of the DT curriculum at Pensby Primary is to ensure that our children acquire a range of skills, including critical evaluation, so that they recognise the impact of DT on daily life and the wider world. Our children progress to secondary school with the knowledge and skills in a range of DT disciplines and the ability to show innovation and enterprise in their future studies. Lessons nurture creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking by encouraging pupils to design, make, and evaluate products with real-world applications.