DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

21st September 2023Bren Thompson

In Design Technology, we intend for our children to:

  • develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday
    tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
  • build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design
    and make high-quality prototypes and products for a wide range of users
  • critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
  • understand and apply the principles of nutrition and learn how to cook.

To implement this, St. Christopher’s has selected Kapow Primary as its curriculum provider for both Art & Design and Design Technology.

There are the three units of art and of DT per year group that have been selected to give the best overall skills coverage.

Through the units selected, children in Key Stage One will…

Design

  • design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users
    based on design criteria
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing,
    templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication
    technology

Make

  • select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for
    example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
  • select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction
    materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Evaluate

  • explore and evaluate a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

Acquire Technical knowledge

  • build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable
  • explore and use mechanisms [for example, levers, sliders, wheels and axles], in their
    products.

Through the units selected, children in Key Stage Two will…

Design

  • use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional,
    appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or group
  • generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated
    sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and
    computer-aided design

Make

  • select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks
    [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately
  • select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction
    materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic
    qualities

Evaluate

  • investigate and analyse a range of existing products
  • evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the
    views of others to improve their work
  • understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped
    shape the world

Acquire Technical knowledge

  • apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex
    structures
  • understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys,
    cams, levers and linkages]
  • understand and use electrical systems in their products [for example, series circuits
    incorporating switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors]
  • apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their products.

St. Christopher’s alternates between Art and Design and DT each half term. This is to enable the children to have a longer lesson in order give time to develop and refine knowledge and practice skills.

Details of what the children will be learning from Reception to Year 6 can be found in the documents below.

 

Adaptive teaching and Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Adaptive teaching strategies are used to ensure that all pupils can access learning and remain in the classroom as much as possible. Lessons are carefully planned and scaffolded to ensure that all pupils will be able to achieve the shared learning objective at their own level. Children with the greatest need, for example those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), will be given more in lesson support. This will include: more quality teaching and learning time with the class teacher; activities being broken down into smaller, more manageable steps; a higher level of personalised scaffolding in activities. It is our goal for all learners to be able to achieve the learning objective successfully in every lesson. Through adaptive teaching we aim to foster independence, resilience and self-confidence for every child.

 

 

GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM

21st September 2023Bren Thompson

What do children learn in Geography?

At St. Christopher’s, children alternate units of learning in Geography with History. The overview of what they learn can be seen in the document below.

The content of what the children are taught is rooted in the National Curriculum.

 

Detail of what the children are taught in Geography can be found in the knowledge organiser documents at the bottom of this page.

We intend the children to:

  • develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both
    terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.

 

  • understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical
    features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.

 

  • be competent in the geographical skills needed to:
  • collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through
    experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical
    processes
  • interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams,
    globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through
    maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

 

To implement this…

 

In KS1, children begin to use maps and recognise physical and human features to do with the local area, building to using maps to explore the continents and oceans of the world in year 2. Further, in year 2, children will begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions. In KS2, map skills are developed further using digital maps, more keys and symbols and children begin to use more fieldwork skills. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, lessons help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. All children expand on their skills in local knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork. Across both key stages, children have a range of opportunities to experience geography through practical engaging tasks beyond the classroom. Our lessons come with end of unit assessments to give the teacher and adults leading geography confidence in the progression of skills and knowledge and that outcomes have been met.

 

Adaptive teaching and Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Adaptive teaching strategies are used to ensure that all pupils can access learning and remain in the classroom as much as possible. Lessons are carefully planned and scaffolded to ensure that all pupils will be able to achieve the shared learning objective at their own level. Children with the greatest need, for example those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), will be given more in lesson support. This will include: more quality teaching and learning time with the class teacher; activities being broken down into smaller, more manageable steps; a higher level of personalised scaffolding in activities. It is our goal for all learners to be able to achieve the learning objective successfully in every lesson. Through adaptive teaching we aim to foster independence, resilience and self-confidence for every child.