Design & Technology – Structures

Subject Key Objective Progression & Development by Year Groups

The following is a guide to help you understand your child’s progression through school.

All lessons are differentiated. This means teachers plan activities that enable the objective to be learned by all children including those who will find the objective challenging, those children who with hard work will secure good progress and those children who can tackle extra stretch and challenge in this subject.

Design and Technology – Structures – Primary Curriculum


Structures – Foundation stage:

Begin to build structures with a range of materials inside and out.

Explore vocabulary here:

  • Build
  • Join
  • Construct


Structures – Year 1:

Begin to build structures, joining components together to create a finished product.


Structures – Year 2:

Begin to build structures with some independence exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.

Explore vocabulary here:

  • Structure
  • Stable
  • Rigid


Structures – Year 3:

Build structures with increasing  independence . Begin to demonstrate  a growing understanding of how to reinforce and strengthen their finished products.


Structures – Year 4:

Build structures with increasing  independence and accuracy.  Demonstrate an understanding of how they can be made stronger and more stable.

Explore vocabulary here:

  • Girder
  • Rafter
  • Strut


Structures – Year 5:

Build innovative, functional, appealing, structures that are fit for purpose. Evidence how products can be made stronger and more stable.

Use finishing techniques to strengthen and improve the appearance of their models.


Structures – Year 6:

With increasing independence and ability, build innovative, functional, appealing, stable structures that are fit for purpose. Demonstrate confidently how to reinforce and strengthen a 3D framework.

Explore vocabulary here:

  • Member
  • Cross Brace
  • Cantilever


Structures – Mastery:

Independently and skilfully build high quality structures that are innovative, functional, appealing and stable.

Finished products are of a particularly high standard.

This collection of short films and resources will help you understand your child’s progression through school.

The curriculum film resource has been broken down by subject area initially and then by topic area.

Share Resource >