DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM RATIONALE

Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject.

Using creativity and imagination, pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems

within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others' needs, wants and values.”

(National Curriculum)

‘I loved trying food I haven’t tried before and I got to use the special knife to chop things up, that was so cool’

‘We made mechanisms that actually made the toy move, and we got to use the tools like a clamp and saw, that was great.’

Pupil Voice

Intent | What and why do we teach what we teach?

At the Learning Academies Trust, and specifically here at Hooe Primary Academy, we have carefully crafted a design and technology curriculum in line with United Learning that engages, inspires and challenges pupils to learn and remember more. Within the United Learning curriculum, there are six core principles, which are: entitlement, coherence, mastery, adaptability, representation, education with character.

The United Curriculum for Design Technology provides all children, regardless of their background, with:

Entitlement: All pupils have the right to learn what is in the United Learning curriculum, and schools have a duty to ensure that all pupils are taught the whole of it.

Coherence: Taking the National Curriculum as its starting point, our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that powerful knowledge builds term by term and year by year. We make meaningful connections within subjects and between subjects

Mastery: We ensure that foundational knowledge, skills and concepts are secure before moving on. Pupils revisit prior learning and apply their understanding in new contexts

Adaptability: The core content – the ‘what’ – of the curriculum is stable, but schools will bring it to life in their own local context, and teachers will adapt lessons – the ‘how’ – to meet the needs of their own classes

Representation: All pupils see themselves in our curriculum, and our curriculum takes all pupils beyond their immediate experience

Education with Character: Our curriculum - which includes the taught subject timetable as well as spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, our co-curricular provision and the ethos and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – is intended to spark curiosity and to nourish both the head and the heart.

Implementation | How and when do we teach what we teach?

Across the LAT, DT is taught from EYFS to Year 6 through our LAT-wide curriculum. At Hooe PA, our key concepts are: structures, mechanisms, programming and control, materials and D&T shaping the world. Within these concepts, pupils develop their knowledge of marking out, shaping, joining and finishing. Alongside this, the United Curriculum ensures that all pupils leave primary school with the ability to cook a selection of healthy dishes using a variety of techniques. Pupils are able to make choices based on values such as sources, seasonality and nutritional value.

Across our schools, a variety of tools, models and methods are used to scaffold pupils’ learning to enable pupils to remember more and deepen their understanding. This may include and are not limited to: live modelling, questioning, retrieval practice, knowledge organisers, graphic organisers and modified or specialist tools. It is essential that all pupils receive an ambitious and challenging design and technology curriculum from when pupils join us in EYFS to when they leave us in Year 6, ready for Key Stage Three.

In EYFS, D&T is taught through ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ aspect of the Early Years Statutory Framework. Pupils will: explore different materials, using all their senses to investigate them, manipulate and play with different materials. They will also make simple models which will express their ideas.

In Key Stage One, pupils investigate the concepts of mechanisms, structures, textiles and food. They will learn about food sources, nutrition and food safety, along with how to prepare and assemble simple dishes such as a fruit salad. They will use shaping, joining, marking out, shaping and finishing techniques alongside developing their disciplinary knowledge of design values and generating ideas. Finally, they will make, test and iterate to produce their final outcome.

Moving into Key Stage Two, pupils will build on the knowledge and skills they developed in Key Stage One. They will investigate the concepts of mechanisms (including linkages, pulleys and cams), structures, textiles, food and programming and control. They will continue to use shaping, joining, marking out, shaping and finishing techniques to produce their final outcomes. In Key Stage Two, pupils will begin to identify user needs and identify how Design and Technology has helped to shape the world.

Impact | How do we assess the impact of what we teach via pupil outcomes?

Design and Technology at Hooe Primary Academy follows the LAT assessment framework that informs the schools about the impact of two main aspects of the Teaching and Learning process:

1. The depth of a pupil's knowledge, understanding and ability to make links in learning.

2. The ability for pupils to apply procedural knowledge to skill-based activities.

Within the context of Design and Technology, the following methods of assessment are used:

Recall knowledge: Pupils will demonstrate an ability to recall facts and information, whilst demonstrating their ability to recall and model the techniques taught. This assessment of pupils’ knowledge in these areas will be used to inform future lessons, the need for additional practice, pre-teach and interventions.

Explore and Question: Using knowledge organisers and tiered vocabulary, pupils will be challenged to demonstrate an ability to use their knowledge by being asked rich, varied questions relating to the subject matter. Pupils will be able to use a rich vocabulary to communicate their own thoughts and interpretations of questions relating to the subject. Pupils will demonstrate their understanding of the taught skills, techniques and knowledge to explore their own ideas within Design and Technology, selecting and exploring the techniques they have developed so far.

Communicate: For each Design and Technology project, pupils will produce a final outcome using their acquired knowledge, skills and understanding. In food units, pupils will be able to taste their final products and/or share with others.

How this be measured at Hooe:

Formative Assessment

• Design Books and Pupil Conferencing: Teachers assess children's understanding through discussions about their work and by reviewing design books. These conversations help identify how well pupils understand key concepts, apply technical knowledge and make connections with previous learning.
• In-Lesson Assessment: Ongoing formative assessment is embedded throughout lessons. Teachers use questioning, observation and discussion to identify misconceptions, provide feedback and adapt teaching to ensure all pupils remain engaged and make progress.
• Retrieval Questions: Regular retrieval opportunities help pupils revisit previously taught knowledge, vocabulary and technical concepts, strengthening long-term memory and supporting the development of secure foundations for future learning.

End-of-Unit Assessment

• Low-Stakes Quizzes: At the end of each unit, children complete low-stakes quizzes or assessment activities designed to evaluate their understanding of core knowledge. The outcomes help teachers identify any remaining gaps and inform future planning.
• Evaluation of Design Outcomes: Children reflect on and evaluate their finished products against their design criteria, considering strengths, areas for improvement and how effectively their product meets the needs of the intended user.

By maintaining a carefully sequenced curriculum and using effective assessment strategies, we aim to ensure that children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become creative, resilient and innovative designers. Through Design and Technology, pupils learn to apply their understanding to real-world problems and become thoughtful, capable problem-solvers.