We delve into a real-life example of a school that has effectively integrated our Design and technology scheme and how it has transformed the learning experience for teachers and pupils alike. Through engaging videos and supporting resources, Kapow Primary has helped Crawford Village Primary School improve the quality of their Design and technology lessons and increase pupil skills and knowledge. 

Whether you are a teacher looking to enhance your subject knowledge or a school leader seeking to improve the quality of your Design and technology provision, this case study will surely provide valuable insights and inspiration. 

About Crawford

Crawford Village Primary School is a small, rural Lancashire school with 80 pupils across three mixed-age classes. Despite being in a relatively affluent area, the school is diverse and has a below-average number of pupils on pupil premium. The school recently retained its Outstanding rating from Ofsted, highlighting the staff’s commitment to pupils’ happiness and well-being.

With ten staff members and 81 pupils on roll, the school has a high staff-to-pupil ratio, allowing for tailored education that meets each pupil’s needs, as shown by their impressive SAT results. The school is also led by a highly motivated headteacher dedicated to the well-being of the pupils and the school.

Subscribing to Kapow Primary

Where did you find out about us?
Through detailed research and a new staff members recommendation, as they had it at their previous school.

Why did you choose to subscribe to D&T?
Design and technology was chosen as it was a weakly resourced subject and to improve the standard of teaching and learning.

How easy was it to implement the scheme?
Amazingly easy! It still takes a lot of input because it is Design and technology, but the planning was easy to follow. It was so straightforward to implement.

What problems did your teaching staff have that Kapow Primary has solved?
I didn’t enjoy it when Design and technology came up because it was a time-intensive subject – and I didn’t feel completely confident. But the planning does everything. A new staff member joined and recommended Kapow Primary – it has transformed how DT is taught.

What has your staff found the most appealing?
The fact that everything is there! The teacher videos and resources, plus the spreadsheet listing everything you need so you can buy all the resources into the school for the topic. Also, the planning is so detailed.

What goals have you been able to achieve?
Less time spent planning lessons, increased pupil knowledge and skills!

The skills base is quite high and teaches very high-order skills to children from a young age. This helps with the transition to secondary school. The children absolutely loved the Come Dine with Me unit and found it really enjoyable.

The Slingshot Cars unit was tricky with the glue guns, and the maths was quite challenging, but the children still absolutely loved it. The only criticism is that the video went too quickly and wasn’t quite step-by-step, so it tended to assume a bit more knowledge for their age, but they still really enjoyed the lesson!

Kapow Primary in action

What do you think is the most helpful thing about Kapow Primary?
It is a complete unit of work, and everything is done for you. 

What impact has Kapow Primary Design and technology had on teaching and learning?
All of it, really! The assessment tools are really useful. It was just really helpful knowing where the children were at the end of the unit – in helping to compare outcomes and tailor the learning for the individual children. 

How accessible are the units, considering the existing level of pupil knowledge and skill, when you first implemented the scheme?
We have found them really clear and accessible with everything to download. The food technology ones are amazing. We had some concerns about using knives and hot oil before the lessons. Still, these were mitigated by the safety instructions – and the other teachers were amazed by how well the children coped with the level of responsibility. 

The food the children produced for the Come Dine with Me was Masterchef standard! 

We are in an affluent area, which helps with the children bringing in ingredients and practising at home, but it was still really impressive. One amendment we made was the reward at the end. We did the score sheet as suggested in the plans, but the winning team also got a leather-bound recipe book and wooden spoon, and the children are still using their recipe books now. 

They use them to share recipes amongst the children – and it’s really started a bit of a love for cooking. I have even used some of the kids’ recipes at home myself!

Thinking about the teacher guidance and video provided, can you describe how easy or difficult teachers found it to deliver the units?
They were brilliant. The only small thing was it quite difficult to download the videos  – we had to be logged on, but it wasn’t a real issue. The whole school has found the schemes of work so clear, straightforward and easy to deliver.

What has been your pupils’ favourite unit/lesson?
50/50 between Come Dine with Me and Slingshots! 

Maybe Come Dine with Me as it had such an impact on the children. One child said they would make “salmon in bearnaise sauce” and practised it at home and was so happy with himself, and another made  ‘balsamic glazed salmon with sultanas’. If anything, this would be work well extended over six weeks rather than just four.

How have you found our assessment resources for D&T?
Really easy. We used the assessment quiz at the end of the unit to ascertain the children’s understanding. Also used the knowledge organiser, which helped ensure the children knew the technical vocabulary. 

We found a demonstrable difference before and after, especially in their language. Some of the cookery terms they were using were great! And also their appreciation of the safety element. 

Although it’s quite a well-behaved cohort, the glue guns part was still a bit hairy at times – but they managed with it well in the main. And we purchased some cool glue guns for the school. 

Does the scheme offer enough variety and diversity in the types and styles of Design to engage your pupils and reflect and broaden their understanding?
Absolutely. The projects are very variable. 

Do you regularly use our supporting materials, and if so, what have you found the most helpful?
We have used the progression of skills and knowledge. And what was brilliant, especially with the Slingshot Cars, was the equipment list. Not just what to buy but the quantities as well. 

Have you ever had cause to contact us? If so, can you describe what happened?
We got in touch after Slingshot Cars to offer the pictures to showcase on the website because we’d overachieved our ambitions and felt that examples of work would be helpful for the website.

In summary

Kapow Primary delivers high-quality, fun DT with all the planning, resources and assessment tools done for you.

This case study is with special thanks to Jackie Tose, a teacher of Years 4-6 at Crawford Village Primary School.