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Design and Technology

'Design and Technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizz-kids turn their bright ideas into useful products and solutions.'

- James Dyson

Curriculum Intent

Our Design and Technology curriculum aims to inspire pupils to become innovative, creative thinkers who understand the product design cycle from ideation through to creation and evaluation. By following the Kapow Primary scheme, we ensure our pupils develop the practical skills, technical knowledge, and confidence needed to take risks, problem-solve, and respond to real-world design briefs.

Core Aims

  • Hands-on Innovation: Enable pupils to build a rich repertoire of skills, knowledge, and understanding to design, make, and evaluate functional prototypes and products for specific users and purposes.

  • Technical Mastery: Progressive development of technical knowledge across structures, mechanisms, electrical systems, textiles, and digital technology.

  • Cooking & Nutrition: Instil a love for cooking alongside a strong understanding of healthy eating, seasonal produce, food origin, and practical culinary techniques.

  • Critical Reflection: Foster resilient, reflective learners who can critically analyse existing products and evaluate their own work to make iterative improvements.

  • Real-World Context: Build awareness of how design impacts daily life, society, the environment, and the wider economy, encouraging pupils to become resourceful and enterprising citizens.

Implementation

The Kapow Primary scheme structures learning through a spiral curriculum model. Key concepts, technical skills, and vocabulary are revisited year-on-year with increasing depth and complexity, allowing pupils to consolidate prior learning before building new capabilities.

The Design Process & Core Strands

All units follow the three core national curriculum stages—Design, Make, and Evaluate—underpinned by Technical Knowledge and Cooking and Nutrition. Across Key Stages 1 and 2, learning is delivered through six key areas:

  1. Structures: Designing and building stable framework structures, shell structures, and rigid towers.

  2. Mechanisms / Mechanical Systems: Exploring sliders, levers, wheels, axles, gears, and pulleys.

  3. Electrical Systems (KS2): Constructing simple circuits, switches, buzzers, and programmable components.

  4. Textiles: Developing joining, template-making, sewing, and finishing techniques.

  5. Cooking and Nutrition: Mastering food preparation tools, understanding food groups, seasonality, and balanced diets.

  6. Digital World / CAD (KS2): Incorporating computer-aided design (CAD) and micro-controllers into modern product design.

Pedagogy & Teacher Support

  • Varied Teaching Strategies: Lessons mix practical hands-on building, individual sketching/modelling, paired discussions, and digital tasks to suit diverse learning styles.

  • Embedded CPD: Every Kapow unit includes teacher subject-knowledge videos and demonstration clips, giving non-specialist teachers high confidence and accurate skill modelling.

  • Inclusion & Greater Depth: Scaffolded support (such as pre-cut materials or simplified briefs) ensures access for SEND pupils, while open-ended design challenges extend pupils working at greater depth.

Impact

The impact of our Kapow-led D&T curriculum is evident in pupils' growing confidence, practical proficiency, and technical literacy as they progress through the school.

Assessment & Monitoring

  • Formative Assessment: Ongoing observation during practical tasks using explicit lesson-by-lesson success criteria and key questions.

  • Knowledge Catchers & Quizzes: Kapow's end-of-unit "Knowledge Catchers" and low-stakes quizzes measure retention of technical vocabulary, processes, and concepts.

  • Self & Peer Evaluation: Completed design sheets and physical portfolios capture pupils' ability to critique their own work against the original brief.

Outcomes for Pupils

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will:

  • Meet or exceed the end-of-key-stage attainment targets set out in the National Curriculum.

  • Confidently select and use appropriate tools, equipment, and materials safely and accurately.

  • Apply mathematical skills (measuring, geometry) and scientific concepts (circuits, forces) to physical products.

  • Possess practical cooking skills and a baseline understanding of nutrition and healthy living.

  • Leave primary school with the problem-solving mindset, resilience, and curiosity needed to succeed in secondary D&T and STEM subjects.