Design Technology
At Ainsdale St. John's, we believe that Design and Technology provides children with opportunities to be creative, innovative and practical thinkers. Through designing, making and evaluating, pupils learn how to solve problems, develop ideas and create products that meet a specific purpose. We encourage children to take risks, think critically and learn from their experiences, helping them to develop resilience and confidence in their abilities.
Design and Technology enables children to apply knowledge and skills from a range of subjects, including science, mathematics, computing and art. Through practical and engaging experiences, pupils learn how products are designed, made and improved, while developing an understanding of the role design and technology play in everyday life.
Our aim is for every child to leave Ainsdale St. John's as a creative problem-solver who can think independently, work collaboratively and apply their learning to real-world challenges with confidence and imagination.
Kapow Primary
At Ainsdale St. John's, we follow the Kapow Primary Design and Technology curriculum from Reception to Year 6. The curriculum is designed to develop children's creativity, practical skills and technical knowledge through engaging, hands-on projects. Learning is organised around the key stages of the design process: design, make and evaluate, enabling children to create products that solve problems and meet specific purposes.
Kapow's curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that knowledge and skills build progressively over time. Children develop their understanding within the key areas of mechanisms, structures, textiles, electrical systems and cooking and nutrition. Through practical experiences, pupils learn how to select and use appropriate tools, materials and techniques safely and effectively.
Throughout the curriculum, children investigate and evaluate existing products, explore the work of designers and inventors, and consider how products can be improved. They learn to generate ideas, create prototypes, test their designs and evaluate their effectiveness, developing resilience and critical thinking skills along the way.
The Kapow curriculum encourages children to make meaningful links between Design and Technology and other curriculum subjects, including science, mathematics, computing and art. Through this progressive approach, pupils develop the confidence, creativity and practical skills needed to become innovative problem-solvers and designers.
Working in Partnership
Parents can support Design and Technology by encouraging children to be curious about how things work and how products are designed and made. Everyday activities such as cooking, building with construction toys, sewing, crafting, gardening and repairing items around the home provide valuable opportunities for children to develop practical skills and creative thinking.
Encourage your child to explore how products are designed to solve problems and meet people's needs. Discussing everyday objects, investigating how mechanisms work and asking questions such as "How could this be improved?" can help develop the design thinking skills used in school. Allowing children to plan, make and evaluate their own creations also helps build resilience, creativity and problem-solving skills.
The following websites provide engaging, age-appropriate resources to support Design and Technology learning at home:
BBC Bitesize Design and Technology
Videos, activities and information linked to key Design and Technology concepts.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesizeSTEM Learning
Practical engineering, design and technology challenges for families.
https://www.stem.org.ukJames Dyson Foundation
Free engineering and invention challenges designed for children.
https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.ukDesign Museum
Resources and activities that encourage children to think like designers and innovators.
https://designmuseum.orgScience Museum
Interactive activities exploring engineering, inventions and technology.
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.ukCracking Ideas
Creative engineering and invention activities inspired by real-world problems.
https://www.crackingideas.comSTEMettes
Activities and inspiration related to engineering, technology and design.
https://stemettes.org
Most importantly, encourage your child to experiment, learn from mistakes and take pride in creating and improving their ideas. Design and Technology is all about creativity, resilience and finding solutions to real-world problems.