Structures (KS1 – KS2)

KS1 KS2 D&T

Structures is where children find out why a folded piece of paper holds more than a flat one. It’s the most testable strand in design and technology, and one of the most satisfying. Here’s what the curriculum expects.

What children learn about structures at KS1 and KS2

What the national curriculum expects

Structures appear under technical knowledge in both key stages. At KS1, pupils should build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable. At KS2, pupils should apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures. The curriculum doesn’t name particular structures, so schools choose contexts that suit their pupils.

Key knowledge and concepts

Within this topic, children build knowledge of how structures stand up:

Structures around us, and what they have to do

The three things a structure needs, and how they differ

Folding, rolling and layering to add strength

Building with a skeleton of struts and joints

Building from folded and joined sheet material

Different bridge types, and why each one works

Loading a structure to find where it fails

Adding to a structure to make it hold more

Where this topic sits within KS1 and KS2

Structures run through both key stages as part of technical knowledge, building from simple strengthening and stiffening at KS1 to more complex reinforcement at KS2. The strand pairs naturally with the science work on materials and their properties.

How to access this topic

Structures don’t sit on their own in the curriculum. The Cornerstones design and technology curriculum is fully sequenced from EYFS through Year 1 to Year 6, so you can see what comes before, what follows and how the whole picture fits together. We’ve done the thinking, so your planning time goes into teaching, not sequencing.

Find out more about the curriculum

Explore the Design and Technology Curriculum

Quick Teach Individual lessons and resources for supplementing what you already teach.