Design Technology

Back to Subject List

Curriculum Rationale

The value held by the school, providing children with a range of practical, creative and engaging experiences, has helped to guide the DT curriculum by using Kapow DT scheme of learning. The life skills learnt through DT are recognised and therefore the curriculum has been shaped to ensure that all children are able to access the learning and that there is clear progression throughout the school in each of the objectives.The school has many resources and so allows the quality of the teaching and learning to be of a high standard thus inspiring. DT is able to clearly link the well-being value of healthy eating and looking after our bodies through the nutrition element of the subject. As part of the work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity.

"The pop-up books we made were really fun to create. We based them on rockets flying through space!" Year 5 pupil

Curriculum intention

The intention of the DT curriculum, based upon the national curriculum expectations, is to ensure that by the time every student leaves they have at least the ability to:

Participate in an increasingly technological world, allowing them to perform everyday tasks with confidence.

Design, make and evaluate their own products for a wide range of users. As well as having the understanding of materials and their suitability in their own and others products.

Prepare and cook a healthy meal, understanding why it is healthy.

Pupils to be confident in basic cooking techniques such as slicing, peeling, cutting, grating, chopping, squeezing, mixing, pouring, measuring out ingredients etc. They will understand how to keep themselves and others safe in the kitchen, with regard to hygiene and how to use tools. Pupils will learn how to work efficiently and how to reduce waste e.g. plan carefully before cooking, selecting only what they need, washing up least dirty objects first. They will have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet.

Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.

Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.

Understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.

Curriculum Implementation

Hammond School DT lessons follow the Kapow scheme for learning to ensure that children have access to a rich DT curriculum. The use of the scheme ensures that staffâ¯are able to provide subject specific units of work and have coherently planned lessons. The scheme provides ‘How to Videos’ for each aspect of learning which supports staff in how to deliver key objectives. There is a clear progression of key skills throughout the key stage. The scheme closely matches the objectives of the DT National Curriculum. Children will have books to record all aspects of their design processes including photos of final pieces.