This article draws on an inquiry into the design and implementation of the curriculum in a case study urban primary school in the north of England. In response to the introduction of the revised National Curriculum in September 2014, teachers and the school head engaged in a critical discourse around their perceptions of students' attainment and engagement across the curriculum, and explored alternative curriculum design and pedagogies. Supported by "academic partners", teachers were introduced to the "Storyline" approach and encouraged to consider a shift from a rigid and functional curriculum towards more flexible approaches which emphasise problem solving, critical literacy and communication in multiple form. The argument presented here is twofold: first, it is suggested that moving towards more "open architectures" improves students' engagement with learning by reducing teaching to the test and creating more socially responsive and real-life learning experiences; this is then contrasted with current "top-down" models of prescriptive curriculum design tied to a raft of high-stakes standardised tests which constrains teachers' efforts to engage in this process.