KS1 · Year 2 · National Curriculum Aligned
Year 2 Art & Design Scheme of Work
In Year 2, pupils consolidate and extend the skills introduced in Year 1, working with greater confidence and intention across drawing, painting, printmaking, collage and sculpture. They begin to make more deliberate choices about materials, tools and techniques, and develop the habit of reflection on their own and others' work.
Pupils encounter a wider range of significant artists and craftspeople, developing art literacy and the ability to describe and evaluate artwork using subject-specific vocabulary. By the end of KS1, pupils will have a broad and balanced experience of the art curriculum and be well prepared for the more technical demands of KS2.
At a glance
Units
6 half-term units
Key stage
KS1
Year group
Year 2
NC alignment
Full programmes of study
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Experience of line drawing, painting with primary and secondary colours, mono printing, collage and clay sculpture from Year 1
- ✓Basic colour vocabulary and understanding of primary and secondary colours
- ✓Early sketchbook use for recording observations and ideas
- ✓Knowledge of artists including Kandinsky, Mondrian, Matisse and Goldsworthy
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 Art & Design programme of study.
Autumn 1Drawing
Drawing: Portraits and Self-Portraits
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use drawing to develop and share their ideas and observations
- –To develop techniques in drawing the human face with increasing accuracy
- –To know about the work of portrait artists
Key activities
- –Studying the proportions of the human face using a simple grid
- –Drawing self-portraits using mirrors, focusing on shape and proportion
- –Looking at portraits by Frida Kahlo and discussing how artists show personality
- –Experimenting with different drawing tools to vary line quality
- –Creating a final self-portrait with added colour using pastels or coloured pencils
Key vocabulary
portraitself-portraitproportionsymmetryfeatureexpressionpastelKahlo
Autumn 2Painting
Painting: Colour Mixing — Tints and Shades
National Curriculum objectives
- –To develop techniques in mixing and applying colour
- –To understand how to create tints and shades by adding white and black
- –To use a range of painting tools with increasing skill
Key activities
- –Recapping primary and secondary colours and exploring tertiary colour mixing
- –Experimenting with adding white to create tints and black to create shades
- –Producing a tonal colour strip from light to dark for a chosen colour
- –Looking at the seascape paintings of J.M.W. Turner and discussing tonal variety
- –Painting a simple seascape or landscape applying tints and shades
Key vocabulary
tintshadetonemixtertiarywarmcoolTurner
Spring 1Collage
Texture and Collage
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use a range of materials creatively, selecting for texture and colour
- –To develop skills in cutting, layering and composing
- –To know about artists who use collage and mixed media
Key activities
- –Collecting and sorting materials by texture: smooth, rough, shiny, soft
- –Creating texture boards using a range of materials and adhesives
- –Studying the paper collages of Kurt Schwitters and mixed-media work
- –Designing and making a landscape or portrait collage
- –Evaluating finished work with peers using texture and colour vocabulary
Key vocabulary
texturecollagelayercompositionmaterialmixed mediaSchwitterssurface
Spring 2Printmaking
Printmaking: Relief Printing
National Curriculum objectives
- –To develop techniques in relief printing
- –To understand how to create repeated patterns using printing blocks
- –To evaluate prints and suggest improvements
Key activities
- –Making simple printing blocks from polystyrene tile or foam sheet
- –Applying ink with a roller and taking careful prints
- –Experimenting with rotation and repetition to create pattern
- –Looking at William Morris wallpaper designs and discussing repeat pattern
- –Designing and printing a repeating pattern for a greeting card or gift wrap
Key vocabulary
reliefblockinkrollerrepeatpatternrotationMorris
Summer 1Sculpture and 3D
Sculpture: Construction
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use a range of materials to construct 3D forms
- –To develop skills in joining and building structures
- –To know about sculptors who work with found and recycled materials
Key activities
- –Exploring how to join materials such as card tubes, boxes and wire
- –Building free-standing structures and testing their stability
- –Researching the work of Anthony Gormley and discussing 3D human form
- –Designing a small sculptural figure using recycled materials
- –Painting and finishing the final sculpture and displaying it with a title label
Key vocabulary
constructjoinstructurebalance3DformstableGormley
Summer 2Drawing
Drawing: Pattern in the Environment
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use drawing to record patterns observed in the natural and built environment
- –To develop sketchbook use for collecting and developing ideas
- –To compare and discuss their work with that of other artists
Key activities
- –Pattern hunts around school — drawing patterns found in brickwork, leaves, grids and fabric
- –Using viewfinders to isolate and focus on pattern sections
- –Comparing patterns in the work of Islamic geometric art and Gustav Klimt
- –Developing pattern drawings into a more complex composition
- –Presenting sketchbook work to the class and explaining choices made
Key vocabulary
patternsymmetrygeometricorganicsketchbookviewfinderKlimtcomposition
Progression into Year 3
In Year 3, pupils transition into KS2 where expectations become more technical and reflective. They begin to use sketchbooks consistently for recording, experimenting and developing ideas. They study artists in greater depth and start to make informed choices about style, medium and composition.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 2 Art & Design lesson plans →