Expressive Arts and Design is a specific area in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The statutory framework for the EYFS (2021) states that 'the development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

What are the expectations in Reception and by the end of the year?

Throughout Reception the children are supported in reaching the end of year expectations. These are called the Expressive Arts and Design Early Learning Goals.

Share their creations, explaining the process they have used;

Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.

By the end of Reception children at the expected level in Being Imaginative and Expressive will:

Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher;

Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs;

Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and – when appropriate try to move in time with music.