North Spring Primary School gives Sengkang parents a clear learning theme to explore: sustainability. Its Applied Learning Programme focuses on STEM and uses a design thinking maker approach through the Maker’s Sustainability Education Programme.
For families, that can begin with a very ordinary question: why do we keep wasting something we could use? A child can practise observing, counting and explaining while investigating a small problem at home.
This guide introduces the school’s published theme and an original family investigation into unused paper. You can keep it short, practical and friendly, with the child making decisions rather than simply following an adult’s instructions.
Choose your reading route
Understand the theme: read about the programme. Try an activity: start with a family task. Explore the school: read the parent questions.
Contents
Open the six-part guide
North Spring’s official ALP page describes sustainability as its central focus. Its maker approach encourages pupils to identify problems and create solutions, with empathy, resilience and innovation among the values and skills it seeks to develop.
That gives parents something specific to ask about when exploring the school: how do children notice a need and improve an idea? A finished object can be interesting, but the observations and decisions behind it tell you more about the learning.
Try looking at the clean paper your family sets aside over three days. Which sheets have an unused side? Which could become drawing paper? Keep personal documents out of the activity and let an adult handle anything confidential.
Ask your child to describe the problem in one sentence. ‘We cannot find scrap paper when we need it’ suggests a different solution from ‘We print pages we do not use’. Start with the problem your family actually observes.
Make a tally of suitable sheets and the occasions when someone needs paper. Younger children can sort and count; older children can compare the totals across days. Keep the categories clear so the numbers mean something.
Talk about the limits of the observation. Three days gives a small picture of your household, not a universal rule about waste. Your child can still use that evidence to propose a useful change and explain why it seems worth trying.
A clearly labelled scrap-paper tray might be enough. Ask where it should sit, how large it needs to be and whether everyone can reach it. Sketch the arrangement before making it from suitable materials already available.
Invite a family member to test it. Can they find a sheet easily? Do they understand which paper belongs there? Practical feedback helps your child see that a solution must work for its users, even when the original drawing looked excellent.
After a few days, compare what happened with the original goal. Was the tray used? Did it become cluttered? Was the label helpful? Choose one adjustment based on the answers.
Ask your child to explain the result using a specific example. ‘My brother found paper for a drawing’ is stronger evidence than ‘We saved the planet’. A small improvement is worth understanding accurately; it gives the child a reason to keep observing.
Read North Spring Primary School’s current ALP and wider programme pages. Ask how the learning develops at different primary levels and what opportunities children have to explain their ideas.
Alongside programmes, think about the daily journey through Sengkang, after-school arrangements and time to rest. A school choice involves the whole routine. At home, a simple investigation can already help you notice your child’s curiosity, persistence and ability to use evidence.
Sources and further reading
School programme information checked on 11 October 2026. This is an independent eduKateSengkang parent guide. The family activities are our suggestions; consult the school’s current information for its programme details.
North Spring Primary School: Applied Learning Programme
North Spring Primary School: Our Programmes
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