Expressive arts and design

“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.”  EYFS Statutory Framework, 2021.

INTENT: In the Nursery we want children to be confident to sing songs and remember rhymes and to be able to use their imagination to create a story narrative in their play. We want our children to form and develop an idea, accessing resources independently. We want to provide children with art-inspired experiences. As our children grow and develop, we want them to become positive and confident performers who have a wide range of artistic skills.

IMPLEMENTATION: Throughout all area of learning and development, children will develop their storytelling language through the use of quality books. Art resources will be available daily for the children to use, with enhancements added when following their interests and requests.  During the Reception year, children will continue to have access to creative resources, through adult-directed activities and also working on projects of their choosing. They will find out about and try techniques of some famous artists. Children will experience music and singing throughout their week, enhanced with the guided use of instruments during Charanga sessions.

IMPACT: Nursery children will be able to talk about and develop their ideas through art, sculpture, music, dance or storytelling, confidently using the resources available. We will monitor the impact to ensure children are ‘on track’ in the developmental age band 3 -4 years. 

By the end of Reception, children will be able to express their thoughts and feelings through singing, music, art and other creative means.