Design and Technology

Intent

At Olga Primary School, our Design and Technology curriculum is designed to be inspiring, rigorous, and practical, nurturing pupils’ natural curiosity to explore how things work and how they can create solutions. We want children to use creativity and imagination to design and make products that solve real and relevant problems, considering their own and others’ needs, wants, and values.

Through DT, pupils:

• Develop subject knowledge, skills, and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum.
• Engage with the design process, driven by curiosity to investigate, invent, and improve.
• Explore the three core strands of Design and Technology:
  • Sewing and Textiles – designing and constructing fabric-based products using sewing techniques.
  • Cooking and Nutrition – learning to prepare and cook food with an understanding of nutrition and hygiene.
  • Construction – creating structures and mechanisms with a variety of materials and tools.

We aim to cultivate resilient, resourceful problem-solvers who are curious and courageous in their ability to create, innovate, and succeed throughout their lives.

Implementation

At Olga, our inclusive DT curriculum meets the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs. We are committed to high-quality, engaging, and practical teaching that awakens and sustains the curiosity of our pupils.

We implement this through:

• A whole-school, well-structured overview that ensures clear progression across year groups and strands: Sewing and Textiles, Cooking and Nutrition, and Construction.
• Carefully resourced projects that provide hands-on, enriching experiences encouraging pupils to be creative and inquisitive.
• An emphasis on health and safety awareness, teaching pupils to use tools and materials responsibly and safely.
• Projects structured around the core DT process of designing, making, and evaluating, embedding key technical knowledge at developmentally appropriate stages.
• Encouraging pupils to select and adapt resources thoughtfully, fostering creativity and problem-solving through trial and improvement.
• A focus on food education, where children practise cooking and hygiene skills, informed by healthy eating principles.
• Development of practical skills such as sewing techniques, construction, and food preparation in meaningful contexts that inspire curiosity and learning.

Through this approach, our pupils cultivate their curiosity and develop confidence and independence as capable designers and makers, well-equipped for future challenges and opportunities.

Impact

At Olga children will have clear enjoyment and growing confidence in Design and Technology. Children will have the opportunity to apply key learning to other areas of the curriculum. Our carefully planned and implemented learning activities will enable pupils to develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.