Design Technology - Desk Tidy (Lower Key Stage 2)

This unit of work forms part of the PrimaryDT scheme of work that features over 60 units of work designed to deliver outstanding outcomes for primary school children in design technology.
This unit of work has been revised and updated for 2026 and is based on delivering six sessions of design technology that are guided by high quality presentation slides accompanied by all the resources that are needed to deliver the lessons, including a knowledge organiser.

Comprehensive medium-term planning that includes
• Unit overview and sequence of learning
• Prior learning needed and links to other curriculum areas
• Learning statements (from our curriculum pathway document)
• List of resources and background information to support teaching and learning
• Key vocabulary for the unit of work
• Teaching activities (investigative and focus tasks)
• Teaching activities (designing and making)
• Advice for challenge and support strategies
• Assessment indicators that children are keeping up with the curriculum

Accompanying this revised unit is further information about the scheme of work and the progression chart and vocabulary list used when creating the scheme of work.

Design Brief: Design and make a Desk Tidy to store all those ‘easy to lose’ desk items.

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this unit of work children learn about shell structures and how different three-dimensional containers can be joined together to form a desk tidy. Children apply their knowledge of creating shell structures, computer-aided design, and recycling practices to create a desk tidy for themselves to use at home or at school. They learn how papier mâché techniques of adding layers can be used to stiffen and strengthen shell structures. Using a range of recycled materials, children create a desk tidy product and use a range of decorative techniques to create a quality product. Children learn how to use posters and how the functions of products can be used to market and advertise a product.

This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:

1. Investigate 1: What is a Desk Tidy? & Focus Task 1: Making Shell Structures
2. Investigate 2: What are shell structures? & Focus Task 2: Paper Mâché Structures
3. Focus Task 3: Introducing Computer-Aided Design
4. Design and Make: Designing Using Computer-Aided Design
5. Design and Make: Making the Desk Tidy
6. Evaluation Session

Some activities / sessions can be re-arranged or delivered in different ways in the learning sequence to allow for whole-class teaching and/or small adult-led sessions to take place at the same time.