Intent

At Alkerden CE Academy Nursery, we believe that every child is creative and has the right to express themselves in their own unique way. Through our Expressive Arts and Design curriculum, we inspire children to explore, imagine, create and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings with confidence. We provide a rich, stimulating environment where creativity is valued as an essential part of children's development and where the process of creating is celebrated as much as the finished outcome.

Our curriculum is carefully designed to nurture children's imagination through art, music, movement, dance, role play, storytelling and design. We encourage children to experiment with a wide range of materials, media and techniques, developing the confidence to explore without fear of making mistakes. By offering open-ended opportunities, children learn to think creatively, solve problems, make decisions and express themselves in increasingly imaginative ways.

We recognise that expressive arts are closely linked to children's communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional wellbeing. Through collaborative creative experiences, children learn to share ideas, listen to others, develop resilience and take pride in their achievements.

Our curriculum reflects the expectations of Development Matters (2023) by enabling children to explore colour, texture, form and space; engage in imaginative and collaborative play; develop their own ideas; and respond creatively to music, stories and the world around them. As a Church of England school, we also encourage children to appreciate beauty, wonder and creativity in the natural world and within the diverse cultures represented in our school community.

Implementation

Expressive Arts and Design is woven throughout our nursery curriculum and is embedded within both adult-led learning and child-initiated play. Carefully planned experiences provide opportunities for children to develop their creativity while revisiting and building upon previously acquired knowledge and skills.

Children are encouraged to explore a wide range of artistic materials and media through painting, drawing, collage, printing, sculpture, weaving and transient art. Rather than focusing on producing identical end products, practitioners value children's individual ideas, encouraging them to experiment with colour, texture, shape and pattern while talking about their creative choices. Adults model techniques and introduce new vocabulary but allow children the freedom to develop their own ideas and representations.

Creativity is closely linked to our book-led curriculum. High-quality texts inspire artwork, model making, storytelling, role play and imaginative exploration across all areas of learning. Through carefully chosen books, children respond creatively to characters, settings and events, extending both their imagination and their understanding of the world.

Children's storytelling is further enriched through Helicopter Stories, where they dictate their own narratives before acting them out with their peers. This enables children to develop imaginative thinking, confidence and collaborative skills while recognising that their ideas are valued. Storytelling naturally extends into role-play areas, small world provision and open-ended creative experiences where children recreate familiar stories or invent their own.

Music is an important part of everyday life in Nursery. Children participate in daily singing, nursery rhymes, action songs and musical games that develop rhythm, pulse and listening skills. They explore a variety of percussion instruments, experimenting with tempo, dynamics and pattern while learning to express themselves through sound and movement. Music from different cultures and traditions is incorporated throughout the year, reflecting the diversity of our school community and broadening children's cultural understanding.

Movement and dance provide further opportunities for creative expression. Through music and movement sessions and imaginative dance activities, children learn to express ideas physically while developing coordination, balance and body awareness. These experiences encourage children to respond creatively to music and stories whilst also supporting their physical development.

Imaginative play is carefully planned through well-resourced role-play areas that evolve throughout the year in response to children's interests and curriculum themes. Whether children are creating a café, veterinary surgery, home corner, travel agency or woodland camp during Forest School, they are encouraged to collaborate, negotiate roles and use their imagination to represent real and imagined experiences.

The outdoor environment provides further opportunities for creativity. During Forest School, children create transient artwork using natural materials, construct dens, design structures and use loose parts imaginatively. Seasonal changes inspire observational drawing, nature collages and opportunities to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. These experiences encourage children to observe carefully, experiment with materials and develop an appreciation for the environment.

Children are also introduced to a range of artists, illustrators, musicians and crafts from different cultures, helping them to understand that creativity can be expressed in many different ways. Through our celebrations of festivals, cultural events and Language of the Term, children experience music, dance, art and traditions from across the world, developing respect for the diverse community in which they live.

Adults play a vital role in nurturing creativity. Practitioners observe children's interests, sensitively extend their ideas through questioning and modelling, and provide uninterrupted time for children to become deeply engaged in creative play. High-quality interactions encourage children to reflect on their creations, explain their thinking and take pride in their achievements while understanding that there is no single "right way" to be creative.

Impact

By the time children leave Alkerden CE Academy Nursery, they are confident, imaginative and independent learners who enjoy expressing themselves creatively across a range of media. They approach new experiences with curiosity, demonstrate increasing confidence in sharing their ideas and understand that creativity allows them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and experiences in different ways.

Children experiment confidently with a variety of materials, techniques and tools, making thoughtful choices as they create and refine their work. They sing familiar songs, respond to music through movement and rhythm, and use imaginative play to represent their own experiences as well as stories and ideas they have encountered through the curriculum. They collaborate with others, negotiate roles within play and show resilience when developing and adapting their creative ideas.

The impact of our curriculum is evident in children's willingness to explore, take risks and think imaginatively. Their artwork, models, storytelling, role play and musical experiences demonstrate increasing originality, confidence and independence. Through ongoing observations, Development Matters assessments, learning journeys, floor books and children's own reflections, practitioners can see clear progression in children's creative thinking and expressive skills.

Most importantly, children leave Alkerden CE Academy Nursery with a love of creating, performing and imagining. They understand that creativity is valued, that their ideas matter and that there are many different ways to express themselves. These secure foundations prepare them well for the Expressive Arts and Design curriculum in Reception and support them in becoming confident, curious and creative learners who are ready to flourish.