Year 6 Art & Design Scheme of Work
In Year 6, pupils approach their art and design education with maturity, confidence and a developing personal artistic voice. Projects are ambitious and sustained, requiring pupils to work with independence, making informed decisions about materials, techniques and presentation. Pupils are expected to demonstrate a deep understanding of the artistic process: from research and experimentation to resolution and evaluation.
The programme covers mixed media and art movements, portraiture, public sculpture, textile design and digital animation. Pupils study key movements — Expressionism, Surrealism, Pop Art and Contemporary Art — and develop sophisticated critical vocabulary for evaluating work in historical and cultural context.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Life drawing skills, landscape painting and printing from Y5
- ✓Textile and design work from Y5
- ✓Sustained sketchbook practice and personal project experience
- ✓Knowledge of artists and movements including Impressionism, Cubism and digital art
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 Art & Design programme of study.
Mixed Media and Art Movements
- –To improve mastery of art and design techniques using mixed media
- –To know about and be influenced by a major art movement
- –To produce a resolved artwork that demonstrates knowledge of an art movement
- –Survey of major art movements: Expressionism, Surrealism, Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism
- –Researching a chosen movement in depth using sketchbooks
- –Experimenting with techniques associated with the chosen movement
- –Producing a resolved mixed-media artwork in the style of the chosen movement
- –Writing a critical artist statement with movement, context and personal response
Portraiture
- –To improve mastery of portraiture across a range of media
- –To know about portraiture across different periods of art history
- –To produce a portrait that shows clear artistic intention and personal style
- –Studying portraiture from Tudor miniatures to contemporary works by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
- –Exploring how light, colour and composition create mood in portraiture
- –Working from life and photographs to build up a layered portrait
- –Experimenting with expressive mark-making and non-naturalistic colour
- –Producing a final portrait using a personally chosen combination of media
Sculpture: Public Art
- –To know about the role of public art in the built environment
- –To design and make a sculpture intended for a public space
- –To evaluate how sculpture communicates ideas and responds to place
- –Studying public sculptures: Antony Gormley's Angel of the North, Anish Kapoor and local public art
- –Discussing the function, audience and site of public sculpture
- –Designing a small-scale sculpture for a specific community space
- –Making the sculpture using clay, wire or mixed materials with appropriate finish
- –Presenting the work with an artist statement explaining purpose and site
Design: Textiles
- –To develop mastery in textile design, combining aesthetic and functional considerations
- –To know about the textile and fashion design industry
- –To produce a resolved textile product to a design brief
- –Studying the work of fashion designers and textile artists: Vivienne Westwood, Yves Saint Laurent
- –Working to a design brief: designing a textile product for a given purpose and user
- –Combining dyeing, printing and stitch techniques
- –Producing a finished textile item such as a tote bag, cushion cover or wearable piece
- –Evaluating the design against the brief and peer-assessing
Digital Art: Animation
- –To use digital tools to create an animated sequence
- –To know about the history and techniques of animation as an art form
- –To combine artistic and technical skills in a digital product
- –Studying the history of animation from early flip books to Pixar and Aardman
- –Learning the principles of animation: squash and stretch, anticipation, timing
- –Creating frame-by-frame digital animations using a tablet app
- –Adding colour, movement and a simple narrative to the animation
- –Screening finished animations to the class and evaluating with an audience
End of Year Exhibition: Personal Portfolio
- –To evaluate and present a body of work from the year as a personal portfolio
- –To articulate personal development as an artist across primary school
- –To understand how artists present and exhibit their work
- –Curating a personal portfolio of the year's best work
- –Writing extended artist statements for key pieces
- –Designing exhibition labels and a personal artist biography
- –Setting up and hosting a class exhibition for parents and other pupils
- –Reflecting on the journey from Year 1 to Year 6 and setting future artistic goals
Progression into KS3
At the transition to secondary school, pupils should have broad experience across all art and design disciplines, a well-developed sketchbook practice, the ability to work independently on sustained projects and a rich critical vocabulary for discussing art in historical, cultural and personal contexts.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 6 Art & Design lesson plans →