In Mellor St Mary CE Primary School we follow the Statutory Framework for the Early  Years and Foundation Stage issued by the DFE. We also use 'Development Matters' to support our planning, teaching, observing and learning outcomes in EYFS on a day to day basis.

Early Years Pupils will:

The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the national curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas. The aim of this document is to help subject leaders to understand how the skills taught across EYFS feed into national curriculum subjects.

This document demonstrates which statements from the 2020 Development Matters are prerequisite skills for art within the national curriculum. The table below outlines the most relevant statements taken from the Early Learning Goals in the EYFS statutory framework and the Development Matters age ranges for Three and Four-Year-Olds and Reception to match the programme of study for art.

Early Years children need regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. All children need artistic and cultural awareness to support their imagination and creativity.  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.  

The most relevant statements for art are taken from Expressive Arts and Design: