Intent, Implementation, and Impact

Design and Technology Curriculum Statement

Our curriculum is joined and sequenced properly to ensure that our children avoid gaps in their learning. A globally relevant curriculum helps to facilitate children with a strong world view.

Intent
The National Curriculum for Design and Technology aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop the creative, technical and practical expertise need 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 their ideas and products and the work of others
• understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook

 

At St. John’s Primary School, we strongly value Design and Technology as an important and impactful part of the children’s entitlement to a balanced and broad curriculum. We believe that Design and Technology provides the children with the opportunities to develop and extend skills with the opportunity to express their individual thoughts and ideas, and this is something we strive to provide our children at St. John’s.

 

Implementation

The teaching and implementation of the Design and Technology curriculum at St. John’s Primary School is based on the National Curriculum and supported by a wide range of resources. At St. John’s, we ensure the skills progression of the design and technology curriculum are embedded within our approach to Design and Technology. These skills have been chosen to ensure coverage through our 3-year programme. At St. John’s, we recognise the importance of raising the profile of design and technology and so instead of delivering weekly DT lessons, once every half term, a whole school themed Design and Technology day takes place. The structure of the day means that children will develop key skills and develop techniques to produce their own or class pieces of work. We have thought carefully about ensuring our children are exposed to a variety of exciting and memorable activities which they will remember through their school ‘career’.

 

Below is our 3-year cycle which includes a focus from the Design and Technology curriculum for each half term. This allows our children to experience a wide range of activities throughout their time at St. John’s.

 

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Cycle A	Where does chocolate come from? Children will learn about how chocolate is made, make their own chocolate bars whilst understanding the importance of Fair Trade and wider global issues.	Junk modelling – Make a bird feeder	Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
Cycle B	Where does bread come from? Children will learn about how bread is made, make their own bread and compete in a Great Bread Bake Off!	Junk modelling – Build an opening bridge	Juggling Balls!
Cycle C	Where does fruit come from? Children will learn about where fruit comes from all over the world, design their own healthy snack whilst creating packaging to sell their healthy snack.	Junk modelling – Build a skyscraper	Marbulous Structure!

 

Impact

At St. John’s, 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.