EYFS Nursery Report Comments: Expressive Arts and Design

Expressive Arts and Design covers creating with materials, such as painting, junk modelling and collage using colour, texture and tools, and being imaginative and expressive through role play, inventing stories, singing songs and moving to music.

Below are 13 sample sentences for Nursery (FS1): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Expected: secure and confident / Expected / Emerging: developing well / Emerging: beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 expressive arts and design sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Expected: secure and confident · Expected · Emerging: developing well · Emerging: beginning · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Expected: secure and confident S

Strengths

Outdoors, [Name] readily uses dressing-up clothes and props to play out familiar stories with friends and [his/her/their] key person.
When sharing finished creations, [Name] readily explains each step of the process and what [he/she/they] would change next time.

Next step

Next, [Name] could help [his/her/their] key person set up a new role-play area, choosing the props and deciding on the story.

Expected E

Strengths

In the home corner, [Name] is able to use props to play out family routines, such as making dinner or putting the baby to bed.
Rolling, cutting and pinching clay with tools, [Name] creates shapes and small figures such as snails and snakes.

Next step

With [his/her/their] key person, [Name] could choose a favourite story and use puppets to act it out.

Emerging: developing well D

Strengths

Early mark making with chunky crayons and paint is developing, and [Name] is starting to talk about the marks made.
When asked, [Name] talks about [his/her/their] models and pictures and is starting to explain how each one was made.

Next step

[Name] could explore a feely tray of sand, leaves and fabric and find words to describe each texture.

Emerging: beginning B

Strengths

[Name] is beginning to play in the home corner, using familiar objects such as cups, spoons and bags in pretend play.
With an adult alongside, [Name] is starting to show pictures and models to others and point out a favourite part.

Next step

Pretend tea parties with [his/her/their] key person, using cups and plates, will help [Name] start to enjoy early role play.

Support at home

At bedtime, you could make up a story together, taking turns to add what happens next.

How to write expressive arts and design comments for Nursery (FS1)

Describe the process rather than the finished product: mixing paint, choosing materials for a model or exploring the feel of clay. At this age, exploring materials matters more than making something recognisable.
Mention the role play the child enjoys, such as cooking in the mud kitchen or being a doctor, and how they use props. Parents can join in with similar pretend play using household objects.
Note the songs and rhymes the child joins in with, including actions and moving to music. Name one favourite so families can sing it together at home.

Watch out: Avoid judging artwork by how realistic or neat it looks, which parents may read as talent or the lack of it. Describe the choices, imagination and techniques the child used instead.

At the most secure level, words such as confidently, independently and in a range of situations fit, backed by one example from play. At the earliest level, name what the child can already do and the support that helps, such as modelling or a visual prompt. Let the observation show the level rather than restating it.

What Expressive Arts and Design covers

In these comments, expressive arts and design covers these behaviours:

Creating with Materials: explores and uses materials, tools and techniques; shares creations
Being Imaginative and Expressive: invents and acts out stories, sings songs, moves to music

More EYFS comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.