Year 7 Art and Design: What to Teach (England)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 7 Art and Design: every national curriculum statement, the tests and dates that matter, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.
- Country
- England
- Key stage
- KS3
- Ages
- 11–12
- Status
- Compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3
- Source
- National curriculum in England – Published 2013-09-11
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Roughly the same age as US Grades 6–8 (approximate: the systems don't line up exactly).
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.
Current. The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (Nov 2025) says a revised national curriculum will be published by spring 2027 for first teaching from September 2028.
What to teach
Below is the official programme of study for Year 7 Art and Design: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.
Key stage 3 5 statutory statements
Introduction to Key stage 3 (official text)
Pupils should be taught to develop their creativity and ideas, and increase proficiency in their execution. They should develop a critical understanding of artists, architects and designers, expressing reasoned judgements that can inform their own work.
Pupils should be taught:
Key stage 3 Statutory
Pupils should be taught:
- to use a range of techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring their ideas
- to use a range of techniques and media, including painting
- to increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials
- to analyse and evaluate their own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work
- about the history of art, craft, design and architecture, including periods, styles and major movements from ancient times up to the present day
Assessments and key dates
There are no national tests or checks in Year 7. Your school will use its own assessments.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS3 (government-funded).
- BBC Bitesize – Short videos and quizzes by key stage and subject.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Other subjects in Year 7: English, Maths, Science, Citizenship, Computing, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Languages, Music, PE.
Find another TIP · National curriculum overview
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: art and design programmes of study (GOV.UK), © Crown copyright.
Statements in the curriculum lists are copied word for word from GOV.UK; everything else on this page (headings, notes, summaries) is written by us. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education or the Standards and Testing Agency. Always check the official documents linked on this page.
Questions teachers ask
Is art and design compulsory in Year 7?
Yes. Art and Design is a compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3 in England (national curriculum framework, figure 1).
Is the Year 7 content set out year by year?
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.