Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement

Intent

At Aston Rowant, we provide a loving and caring environment that ensures every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We are committed to providing all children with learning opportunities to engage in Design and Technology and believe that every child within our school should have full access to the Design and Technology provision as laid down in the National Curriculum regardless of age, gender or ability.

We believe Design and Technology is a creative process, involving children in learning about the world we live in. It is our intent to enable children to become independent and creative problem-solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. By engaging in design and technology, children will learn how to think and plan in a logical sequence to overcome problems. Our Design and technology curriculum aims to inspire pupils to be innovative and creative thinkers who have an appreciation for the product design cycle through ideation, creation, and evaluation. We want pupils to develop the confidence to take risks, through drafting design concepts, modelling, and testing and to be reflective learners who evaluate their work and the work of others. Our curriculum builds an awareness of the impact of design and technology on our lives and encourages pupils to become resourceful, enterprising citizens who will have the skills to contribute to future design advancements.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught through blocked units of work (one per term). Where appropriate, teachers may deliver design and technology in longer blocked sessions or in a condensed two or three-day time frame to give greater coherence to pupils’ learning.

Early Years Foundation Stage

During the EYFS pupils explore and use a variety of media and materials through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities. They have opportunities to learn to:

• Use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about form, function and purpose
• Make plans and construct with a purpose in mind using a variety of resources
• Develop skills to use simple tools and techniques appropriately, effectively and safely
• Cook and prepare food adhering to good health and hygiene routines

Key Stages 1 and 2

The National Curriculum Programme of study provides the basic framework for teaching and learning in Design and Technology and outlines the three main stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate. Each stage of the design process is underpinned by technical knowledge which encompasses the contextual, historical, and technical understanding required for each strand. Cooking and nutrition has a separate section, with a focus on specific principles, skills and techniques in food, including where food comes from, diet and seasonality. Our curriculum organises Design and technology under four subheadings:

• Design
• Make
• Evaluate
• Technical knowledge

Cooking and nutrition is given a particular focus in the National curriculum and we have made this one of our six key areas that pupils revisit throughout their time in Aston Rowant:

● Cooking and nutrition                 ● Mechanisms/ Mechanical systems           ● Structures

● Textiles                                             ● Electrical systems (KS2 only)                      ● Digital world (KS2 only)

Our curriculum allows students to respond to design briefs and scenarios that require consideration of the needs of others, developing their skills in the six key areas. Each of our key areas follows the design process (design, make and evaluate) and has a particular theme and focus from the technical knowledge or cooking and nutrition section of the curriculum. The curriculum is organised as a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning.

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including practical hands-on, computer-based and inventive tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Teachers adapt the curriculum where required to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning where required.

Impact

The impact of our balanced and varied Design and Technology curriculum ensures that our pupils will leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be innovative and resourceful members of society. The expected impact is that children will:

• Understand the functional and aesthetic properties of a range of materials and resources.
• Understand how to use and combine tools to carry out different processes for shaping, decorating, and manufacturing products.
• Build and apply a repertoire of skills, knowledge and understanding to produce high quality, innovative outcomes, including models, prototypes, CAD, and products to fulfil the needs of users, clients, and scenarios.
• Understand and apply the principles of healthy eating, diets, and recipes, including key processes, food groups and cooking equipment.
• Have an appreciation for key individuals, inventions, and events in history and of today that impact our world.
• Recognise where our decisions can impact the wider world in terms of community, social and environmental issues.
• Self-evaluate and reflect on learning at different stages and identify areas to improve.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Design and technology.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

Assessment of learning in Design Technology is an ongoing monitoring of children's understanding, knowledge and skills throughout lessons by the class teacher, through pupil contributions to discussions, teacher questioning and through the completion and evaluation of tasks. This assessment is then used to inform future planning in relation to adaptation, support and challenge required by the children.

We also assess pupils’ enjoyment and achievement through:

• Book Looks
• Learning walks
• Staff and pupil surveys