Design and Technology

 

Our Approach to the Teaching and Learning of Design and Technology at Sacred Heart School
 

Design and Technology develops children’s skills and knowledge in design, structures, mechanisms, electrical control and a range of materials, including food. Design and Technology encourages children’s creativity and encourages them to think about important issues.

Some of the earliest activities that our children are involved in when they start at Sacred Heart requires them to use designing, making and evaluating skills. In EYFS, children begin to understand the world through physical development and expressive art and design. By building on these skills through KS1 and KS2, we aim to believe that Design and Technology is an inspiring, practical and solution-focused subject which prepares our pupils to live and work in the modern world. Links with ‘real life’ are used regularly to give learning purpose and our contextualised learning allows our children to explore the knowledge and cultural capital they need in order to succeed in life.

We follow the Kapow scheme for Design and Technology, which follows the National Curriculum and statutory programmes of study.
 

Please click on the image below for more information on Kapow Primary Design and Technology.
 

 

Knowledge and Skills Developed

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

As the children progress through the school, they take part in focus days to work on the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in the process of designing and making. They use their knowledge and skills from other subjects to help them with this process.
 

For Example:

  • By looking at successes and failures of designs from the past in history, they can make informed decisions.
  • By using their knowledge of forces from science, they can consider materials and mechanisms.
  • By applying their measuring skills from maths, they can make something that is fit for purpose and by applying their knowledge of colour from art, they can consider aesthetics.
  • By using their ‘sticky knowledge’ in IT, they can use their research skills to gather, draw and model their ideas through various platforms.

We are very aware that our children pass a variety of fast food outlets on their way to and from school. The temptations for them to make unhealthy choices are all around them.  At each key stage, dedicated time is set aside for the teaching and learning of nutrition to help our children make informed decisions about their diet.

We have built partnerships with various food-education providers who run annual programmes with us such as the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts “Adopt a chef” programme, “Meet a beekeeper” and “Farm to Fork”, School Food Matters and Sustain.
 

To find out more please click on the below images.
 
               

We aim to promote an early understanding of where our food comes from and appreciation of how we can make food that is healthy, nutritious and delicious.

We follow the Kapow Scheme of work to ensure coverage and progression.
 

EYFS Educational Programme – Expressive Art and Design
 
The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.


 

Design and Technology Curriculum Road Map Year 1 – Year 6
 

 

Design and Technology Curriculum Milestones Reception – Year 6