What Design and Technology Looks Like At St Laurence

Click to view the St. Laurence Art and DT Curriculum Booklet

At St Laurence, Design and Technology is used to inspire children to create innovative designs which solve real and relevant problems within a variety of different contexts. We use the scheme 'Kapow' to plan and teach Art and DT. Children are encouraged to identify real and relevant problems, critically evaluate existing products and then take risks when designing and creating solutions to the problems. Design and Technology gives children opportunities to reflect, evaluate and improve on prototypes using design criteria throughout to support this process. It also allows children to evaluate key events and individuals who have helped shape the world, showing the real impact of design and technology on the wider environment.

Design and Technology activities are taught in a variety of ways across the school as part of a combined Art and DT curriculum -  in blocks of taught time or as part of a topic. Teachers link projects with other subjects across the curriculum throughout the school where it fits well. For example, some of our Art and Design Technology has been incorporated into St. Laurence’s long-term planning of Science or History and Geography topics. These links can be seen on our whole-school planning grids.

By the end of Key Stage 2, children are taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage in an iterative process of designing and making.

Children will complete at least 3 in-depth design and technology projects each year which link to their topic work where possible. One of these projects will be part of the ‘cooking and nutrition’ aspect of the DT curriculum.

Through revisiting and consolidating skills, lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills, knowledge and challenge. Revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each lesson so that children are given opportunities to repeat and revise this knowledge.

Art and Design Technology Curriculum Map

Art and Design Technology Policy