Kilham Church Of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

At Kilham CE (VC) Primary School, we understand that D&T allows pupils to solve problems, think creatively and develop ideas. D&T offers pupils a chance to use creative thinking and activity within a defined purpose and tangible outcome. The school is committed to nurturing pupils’ curiosity and creativity, as well as preparing them for living in a modern world where technology is rapidly changing and advancing.

In teaching D&T, we aim to help pupils:

-Develop their design and making skills.

-Develop their knowledge and understanding of design and technologies.

-Use a wide range of tools and materials.

-Learn about working safely and protective measures.

-Work individually and collaborate with other pupils in a variety of contexts.

-Develop the capability to create products of a high standard through skills and understanding.

-Evaluate products, made by themselves, their peer groups and companies.

-Explore the man-made world and encourage discussion of how we live and work within it.

-Develop an interest in and understanding of technological processes and the role of manufacturing in society.

-Learn the principles of nutrition, healthy eating and how to cook.

Intent

Kilham CE Primary School endeavours to deliver a high quality Design and Technology education through Exploring Arts and Design and the Characteristics of Effective Learning in the EYFS and the specific disciplines of Designing, Making, Evaluating and Developing Technical Knowledge, in Key Stages 1 and 2. Kilham CE Primary School believes that our DT curriculum should be inspiring and practical and is closely matched to our vision where we, ‘Equip one another with the necessary skills to adapt to our ever-changing futures’, and there are, ‘Opportunities for all to achieve their full potential through creativity and challenge’. Pupils are encouraged to be creative and imaginative in order to design and produce products that solve real life problems within a variety of contexts. Pupils will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw upon disciplines from other STEM subjects and art and make connections to the diversity and mysteries of God’s World. Pupils will learn about past and present DT innovations, will learn specialist vocabulary and will develop practical expertise enabling them to participate in an increasingly technological world. Kilham CE Primary School believes that it is extremely important, that from a young age, children understand and apply the basic principles of a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet; they are taught how to cook and understand where their food comes from.

Implementation

Design and Technology lessons and skills are taught from the EYFS to Year 6. All areas of the Design and Technology Programmes of Study are covered. In the EYFS, focused, ‘Continuous Provision’, allows the children to explore, investigate, plan and construct in a variety of contexts; this provides a strong foundation for the children’s development of core skills, concepts and vocabulary. A progression of skills, knowledge and key vocabulary, has been mapped for each year group and is used to ensure that each year group consolidates and builds upon the skills learnt in the previous one. Design and Technology focused activities are built into the school year and the curriculum is enhanced further through a range of educational trips and visitors. Children use our outdoor Dean’s Den Building Area to undertake engineering projects like building a Roman aqueduct this supports team work and communication skills.

Our scheme of work ensures that children can apply their mathematical, computing and, ‘Working Scientifically’, skills to their understanding of Design and Technology. Outcomes for each child are recorded at the end of a unit of work and are analysed for next steps. Work is regularly displayed in school and photographs are added to the school’s Design and Technology portfolio.

Impact

Through our Design and Technology curriculum, our pupils develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed in today’s, increasingly technological world and learn about past and present design and technology innovations. Pupils build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, skills and understanding in order to design and make products and learn how to critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products. Pupils at Kilham CE Primary School, learn the crucial life skills of planning and preparing an affordable, nutritious and often seasonal diet and are shown how to grow their own ingredients in the schools outdoor gardens.

Driffield Cluster Enthuse Partnership:

Over the coming two years the Driffield and Wolds Partnership of Headteachers, with Kilham School as the lead school, will be working together as part of an Enthuse partnership accessing funding from the Dogger Bank Windfarm STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Project.

The Driffield Enthuse Partnership will work together to support significant improvements in staff training, knowledge and skills and increase the number of creative opportunities to introduce our children to STEM subjects and jobs in STEM-based industries. The cluster aims to work together to improve our Design Technology (DT) provision. Schools, staff and subject leaders will collaborate and share a common School development plan objective. The objective will target our Design and Technology CPD, resources and a long-term vision with support from professional development leaders based at the STEM centre in York.

https://www.stem.org.uk/

So, to launch this initiative, on Monday 8th January 2024, 132 teachers from over 14 different schools from across the Driffield area visited the STEM National Learning Centre in York for a full day looking at Design and Technology (DT)

During the day teachers worked with national DT experts to unpick the challenges of the Primary DT curriculum. This especially focused on areas staff have previously found challenging, including working with mechanical systems, levers, linkages, pulleys and cams. The day included practical sessions where teachers could learn the skills they will be teaching our children.

The National Stem Centre has a well-resourced lending library, so teachers could look at high-quality resources that schools could borrow or buy. Staff had the opportunity to meet local STEM ambassadors and staff from ESERO (European Space Education Resource Office). The ESERO team shared resources with the teachers including online activities like Mooncamp, Climate Detectives and Mission X

https://www.stem.org.uk/esero

Finally , school teams had the chance to work together to reflect on their current DT curriculum and consider any major changes they may want to make over the two-year timescale of the Enthuse Project.

Mr Palmer – headteacher from Kilham Church of England Primary School and the lead school of the Enthuse Partnership, said, “ The day was a fantastic success, feedback was very positive. Staff left the centre feeling motivated and excited about DT and are now heading back into schools to look at how we can continue to inspire our children to have a passion for STEM based subjects which could in the longer term link to STEM based jobs.”

Design Technology