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 and Pre-school 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.

 

Adult led activities/Continuous Provision/linked stories (this will be added to as the year progresses)

Nursery and Pre-School

Reception

Autumn 1

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs
  • Observational art
  • Self-portrait art
  • Malleable materials: playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) 
  • Sensory play (vocabulary) - autumn tray, natural materials
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)
  • Harvest songs
  • Art – block art (black line, simple blocks of colour)
  • Charanga – Me! (basic rhythm and pulse)
  • Art - Pastel pumpkins, fine motor autumn leaves
  • Artist focus - Piet Mondrian
  • Songs: Nursery rhymes, harvest songs and counting songs
  • Pretend play - home corner and ice cream cart

 

Autumn 2

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs.
  • Observational art
  • Malleable materials: playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) / clay
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)
  • Sensory play (vocabulary) - natural materials, firework inspired.
  • Christmas songs & performance
  • Winter Art Day – decorate school

 

  • Charanga- My Stories
  • Artist focus - Jackson Pollock (fireworks)
  • Songs: Nativity, Julia Donaldson
  • Shape songs
  • Pretend play- Gruffalo play and Christmas café
  • Winter art day- decorate school

 

Spring

1

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs
  • Observational art
  • Malleable materials:  playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) / clay
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)
  • Sensory play (vocabulary) - natural materials, ice inspired

 

 

  • Charanga: Everyone
  • Artist focus - Wilson Bentley - snowflakes
  • Clay/salt dough animals - paint with acrylic
  • Pretend play - ice igloo/cafe - develop storylines in pretend play
  • Develop own Blue Penguin song - You're a Penguin and You know it...

Spring

2

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs.
  • Observational art
  • Malleable materials: playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) / clay
  • Sensory play (vocabulary) - natural materials,
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)
  • Easter/spring songs
  • Charanga: Our World
  • Artist focus - Monet
  • Design a Bog Baby - to explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings

Summer 1

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs
  • Observational art 
  • Malleable materials: playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) / clay
  • Sensory play (vocabulary)  
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)
  • Forest School – hapa zome

 

 

  • Charanga: Big Bear Funk
  • Artist focus - Giuseppe Arcimboldo - fruit faces
  • Designing and building evil pea traps
  • Designing capes and masks

 

Summer 2

  • Singing opportunities, nursery rhymes and counting songs
  • Observational art 
  • Malleable materials: playdough available (cutters, rolling pins, moulds etc) / clay
  • Sensory play (vocabulary) 
  • Modelling opportunities (boxes, using different sticky tape)

 

  • Charanga: Reflect, rewind and replay
  • End of term portraits - compare to first picture
  • Artist focus - Van Gogh

 

IMPACT: Nursery & Pre-School 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.

OPAL Stay and Play

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Thank you to all who came along to our event on Saturday morning.
It was so lovely to see so many of our new families too.

Dunalley Literature Festival

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Wednesday 22nd – Friday 24th May.
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Year 5 Athletics Squad

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CAKE SALE 18/4/24

13 Apr 2024

Please bring all of your NUT FREE animal themed cakes and bakes along to our cake sale which will be held after school in the playground.

Curriculum Information

12 Apr 2024

Thank you to families for joining our curriculum infomation sessions this week!
It has been lovely to see you in school.

NEW - Dunalley Diddies

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Open to parents/carers of babies 0-1yrs old, on Wednesday afternoons, 1.45pm-3pm. For more information pop along and speak to Hannah Street in...

Easter Holiday Camp

04 Mar 2024

With the Easter break less than 4 weeks away, with our award-winning multi-activity camps running throughout the Easter holidays!

Year 6 Trip

01 Mar 2024

Our Year 6 children enjoyed an adventurous trip to Swindon Steam Museum on Friday.
Their outfits for the World War 11 experience were just fabulous.

OPEN DAY for 2024 Starters

20 Nov 2023

Another OPEN DAY for September 2024 Starters will take place on January 9th 2024 at 9.30am to 10.30am - please just come along!
Please email...

OPAL Bingo - Winners

15 Nov 2023

Coming Soon !
Another OPAL Bingo opportunity