Expressive Arts and Design is a specific area of the Early Years Foundation Stage that encompasses art, music, dance, role play and creative making. It supports children’s emotional development, imagination and ability to communicate their ideas and feelings in a range of ways.

At The Whiteoak Academies, Expressive Arts and Design plays a vital role in helping children explore, create and express themselves with confidence. Our provision includes a carefully crafted art curriculum, music teaching through Charanga, and opportunities for dance and movement within PE. A diverse range of artists, cultures and creative influences are represented to promote inclusion and broaden children’s experiences.

What are the expectations by the end of Reception?

By the end of Reception, children are expected to achieve the Early Learning Goals in:

Creating with Materials

• Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques
• Experiment with colour, design, texture, form and function
• Share their creations, explaining the process they have used

Being Imaginative and Expressive

• Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and teachers
• Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs
• Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and move in time with music

How do we teach Expressive Arts and Design at The Whiteoak Academies?

Art is taught through a progressive curriculum that develops children’s understanding of:

• Colour
• Line
• Texture
• Form
• Composition

Units are carefully sequenced across the year, including:

• Colour mixing and self-portraits in Autumn
• Sculpture and 3D art in Spring
• Still life and architecture in Summer

Children are introduced to a range of artists and designers, developing the vocabulary to describe, interpret and respond to creative work.

Creative provision is a central part of our continuous provision. Children have regular access to a wide range of materials — including paints, clay, collage, construction and loose parts. They are encouraged to make purposeful, independent choices about how to represent their ideas.

Music, Dance and Performance

Music, dance, drama and storytelling are woven throughout the EYFS curriculum.

Children:

• Sing daily and learn a wide range of songs and rhymes
• Take part in performances, including the Nativity
• Explore rhythm, movement and expression through dance and PE

Each year, children perform a Charleston dance to parents, providing an opportunity to showcase their confidence, coordination and enjoyment of performance.

Role-play areas are carefully linked to current learning topics, offering rich opportunities for imaginative play, language development and social interaction.

Supporting Every Child

All children are encouraged to explore their creativity in a safe and supportive environment. Practitioners model, scaffold and extend children’s ideas, ensuring that all children can express themselves and develop confidence in their creative abilities.

Impact

As a result of our rich and varied curriculum, children develop confidence in expressing themselves creatively. They use a range of materials, techniques and ideas to communicate their thoughts and feelings, and show imagination, curiosity and pride in their work.

These experiences support children’s overall development and help them to become confident, expressive learners.

How can you help at home?

You can support your child’s creative development by:

• Providing opportunities for drawing, painting, modelling and making
• Singing songs and nursery rhymes together
• Encouraging imaginative play (e.g. dressing up, small world play, storytelling)
• Visiting galleries, museums or performances where possible
• Talking about your child’s creations and encouraging them to explain their ideas