At Hethersett VC Primary School, we believe in a curriculum that is broad, balanced and valued across all subjects. Our Design and Technology curriculum inspires children to be creative, practical and innovative thinkers. We want pupils to understand the design process and develop the confidence to design, make and evaluate products that solve real problems.

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Recognise prior learning, provide first-hand experiences and build resilience
• Develop collaboration, creativity and critical thinking
• Promote purposeful learning, enjoyable experiences and coherent progression
• Equip pupils with the knowledge and skills needed to become resourceful and enterprising problem-solvers

Throughout their time at Hethersett, children enjoy a wide variety of practical design experiences that bring learning to life, develop creativity and encourage them to think like designers, engineers, inventors and problem-solvers.

These approaches allow teachers to assess pupils' understanding, identify misconceptions and support the development of both technical knowledge and practical competence.

Kapow's assessment materials also support teachers in measuring pupils' progress and identifying how effectively key knowledge and skills have been secured.

By the time they leave Hethersett VC Primary School, pupils will:

• Understand and confidently apply the process of designing, making and evaluating
• Use a range of tools, materials and techniques safely and effectively Demonstrate creativity, resilience and resourcefulness when solving problems
• Apply knowledge from mathematics, science, computing and art to design challenges
• Understand principles of nutrition, structures, mechanisms, textiles, electrical systems and digital technologies
• Evaluate products thoughtfully and suggest improvements
• Recognise how design and technology shape everyday life
• Be confident, innovative and enterprising learners who are prepared for the next stage of education and the wider world

Throughout the curriculum, pupils explore how designers solve problems through understanding systems, recognising connections between design and user needs, and responding to change through innovation and improvement.

Children learn practical skills progressively across the school. In Key Stage 1, pupils begin by exploring basic structures, mechanisms, food preparation and textiles through simple design tasks. As they progress through Key Stage 2, they develop increasing confidence in designing for specific purposes, understanding mechanical and electrical systems, applying digital technologies and creating products that meet given design briefs.

Learning is practical, hands-on and purposeful, encouraging children to apply knowledge from mathematics, science, computing and art within meaningful contexts.

Impact

The impact of our Design and Technology curriculum is seen in pupils who are creative, resilient and confident problem-solvers.

Throughout lessons, teachers use formative assessment strategies including:

Questioning and discussion Retrieval activities Observation of practical skills Design reviews and evaluations Reflection on the effectiveness of products and solutions

Pupils are encouraged to:

Investigate and evaluate existing products Develop and communicate design ideas Select appropriate tools, materials and techniques Create and refine products Test and evaluate their effectiveness Reflect on how designs could be improved

Lessons are built around the design process:

Design → Make → Evaluate

The curriculum follows a progressive structure, allowing pupils to revisit key concepts and build upon previous learning with increasing depth and complexity. Children learn that good design requires creativity, technical knowledge, evaluation and perseverance.

By exploring products, systems and technologies from the past and present, pupils develop an understanding of how innovation has changed the way we live and how future developments may continue to shape society.

Implementation

Design and Technology is taught through the carefully structured Kapow Primary curriculum, ensuring progression in both knowledge and practical skills from Reception to Year 6.

Children develop their learning through six key areas:

Cooking and Nutrition Structures Mechanisms and Mechanical Systems Textiles Electrical Systems (Key Stage 2) Digital World (Key Stage 2)

These concepts are revisited throughout pupils' time at Hethersett, enabling them to build understanding over time. Learning begins with concrete and familiar experiences in Key Stage 1 and develops into increasingly sophisticated, abstract and evaluative thinking by the end of Key Stage 2.

Design and Technology is taught as a discrete subject through the Kapow curriculum, ensuring that children develop secure technical knowledge, design skills and practical expertise. Where appropriate, teachers draw attention to meaningful links with the wider curriculum theme, helping pupils make connections across their learning whilst maintaining the integrity of the subject.

Each unit begins with an engaging Entry Point, designed to immerse pupils in a design challenge, spark curiosity and establish a clear purpose for learning. Units conclude with an Exit Point, where pupils celebrate and share their finished products, prototypes and design solutions with an authentic audience, reflecting on both the process and the outcome.

Intent

At Hethersett VC Primary School, we want our pupils to develop the creativity, confidence and technical knowledge needed to become successful designers, makers and problem-solvers.

Through the Kapow Primary Design and Technology curriculum, children learn to:

Design products with purpose and a clear understanding of users' needs Develop practical skills using a range of tools, materials and techniques Evaluate and improve their ideas through testing and reflection Apply knowledge from other curriculum subjects to meaningful design challenges Understand how design and technology influence everyday life Develop resilience, independence and resourcefulness when solving problems

We use the Kapow Primary Design and Technology curriculum to deliver engaging, progressive and practical lessons. The curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, enabling pupils to build technical knowledge, practical expertise and creative confidence over time. Children learn to design with purpose, make with skill and evaluate thoughtfully, applying their learning to meaningful and real-world contexts.

Every child is seen as unique, valued and celebrated within our school community. We underpin learning with knowledge, skills and values, providing opportunities for children to take risks, solve problems and learn from both success and failure.

Our Christian values of wisdom, responsibility, compassion, truthfulness and friendship encourage pupils to become thoughtful designers who consider the needs of others, work collaboratively and understand the impact their decisions can have on the wider world.

Our Curriculum Approach

Design and Technology forms part of our carefully planned foundation curriculum, which is structured around termly themes and three overarching concepts:

Systems – understanding how things work and how parts fit together Connection – recognising relationships between people, places and ideas Change – exploring how things develop, adapt and evolve over time