KS2 · Year 3 · National Curriculum Aligned
Year 3 Art & Design Scheme of Work
In Year 3, pupils begin KS2 with a more structured and reflective approach to art and design. They use sketchbooks consistently to record observations, experiment with materials and develop ideas. Pupils are expected to demonstrate growing technical skill and to talk about their work and the work of others with increasing depth and vocabulary.
The programme covers drawing, painting, printing, clay sculpture and sketchbook work, with a focus on understanding how and why artists work in particular ways. Pupils explore the work of artists from a variety of cultures and historical periods, beginning to place art in a broader context.
At a glance
Units
6 half-term units
Key stage
KS2
Year group
Year 3
NC alignment
Full programmes of study
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Drawing skills including portraiture, observation and line work from KS1
- ✓Colour mixing — primary, secondary, tints and shades — from Y2 painting unit
- ✓Experience of mono printing, relief printing, collage and clay modelling
- ✓Emerging sketchbook skills and ability to talk about own work and artists studied
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 Art & Design programme of study.
Autumn 1Drawing
Drawing with Observation
National Curriculum objectives
- –To improve their mastery of art and design techniques with a range of materials, including drawing
- –To learn about great artists and how they have used drawing as a tool
- –To use sketchbooks to collect, record and develop ideas
Key activities
- –Still-life observational drawing of natural objects using pencil and charcoal
- –Exploring tonal shading techniques: hatching, cross-hatching and blending
- –Studying the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and discussing his observational methods
- –Developing drawings in sketchbooks with annotations and evaluation notes
- –Producing a final large-scale observational drawing demonstrating tonal range
Key vocabulary
observationtonehatchingcross-hatchingstill lifeshadingDa Vincisketchbook
Autumn 2Painting
Painting: Watercolour Techniques
National Curriculum objectives
- –To improve mastery of painting techniques using watercolour
- –To understand wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques
- –To know about artists who use watercolour and how they achieve different effects
Key activities
- –Exploring wet-on-wet washes to create soft, blended backgrounds
- –Practising wet-on-dry technique for crisp edges and detail
- –Studying botanical illustrations and the landscape watercolours of John Sell Cotman
- –Painting a botanical subject (flower or leaf) using both techniques
- –Evaluating work against the original subject and making notes in sketchbooks
Key vocabulary
watercolourwashwet-on-wetwet-on-drytransparentblendbotanicalCotman
Spring 1Printmaking
Printing: Repeat Patterns
National Curriculum objectives
- –To develop mastery of printmaking through creating repeat and tessellating patterns
- –To design a printing block with a clear motif
- –To know about the use of pattern in design history
Key activities
- –Designing a simple motif inspired by natural or geometric forms
- –Cutting a printing block from polystyrene or soft foam
- –Experimenting with one and two-colour printing
- –Studying the repeat designs of William Morris and Escher
- –Producing a final four-colour printed repeat design on fabric or paper
Key vocabulary
motiftessellaterepeatblocksymmetrypatternMorrisEscher
Spring 2Sculpture and 3D
Clay and Relief Sculpture
National Curriculum objectives
- –To improve mastery of 3D techniques including modelling and relief work
- –To understand how artists use clay to create form and texture
- –To know about sculptors who work with ceramic and clay
Key activities
- –Practising clay skills: rolling, pinching, coiling and slab building
- –Designing and making a relief tile inspired by natural forms
- –Studying the ceramic sculptures of Clarice Cliff and traditional African terracotta
- –Adding surface decoration using slips, impressed textures and carving
- –Firing (or air-drying) and glazing the final clay tile
Key vocabulary
clayreliefslabcoilslipglazetexturekiln
Summer 1Drawing
Sketchbooks and Artists
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use sketchbooks to develop and revisit ideas through sustained investigation
- –To know about and be inspired by a significant artist or movement
- –To evaluate and improve own work with reference to artist research
Key activities
- –Choosing an artist to research from a curated selection (e.g. Hockney, Van Gogh, Seurat)
- –Completing artist research pages in sketchbooks: biography, style, materials
- –Practising techniques used by the chosen artist through experimental pages
- –Developing an original composition inspired by the artist's style
- –Presenting sketchbooks and final work to the class with an artist comparison
Key vocabulary
sketchbookinfluencestyletechniquecompositionresearchHockneyVan Gogh
Summer 2Collage
Collage and Mixed Media
National Curriculum objectives
- –To use a range of materials and processes to create a mixed-media artwork
- –To select and combine materials for effect
- –To know about artists who use collage in their work
Key activities
- –Exploring the collage work of Romare Bearden and discussing narrative in art
- –Collecting, sorting and preparing materials for a collage composition
- –Combining paint, paper, fabric and found materials in a layered artwork
- –Using sketchbooks to plan and develop compositions before making
- –Evaluating finished work using vocabulary of art: colour, texture, form, composition
Key vocabulary
mixed mediacollagenarrativelayercompositionBeardenassemblagetexture
Progression into Year 4
In Year 4, pupils build on their KS2 foundation by tackling more sophisticated techniques: painting from observation of complex subjects such as still life, more demanding sculptural work including armature-based construction, lino-style printing and digital art. Sketchbooks become central to their practice.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 3 Art & Design lesson plans →