AREA OF LEARNING AND EXPERIENCEExpressive Arts
Guidance to help schools and settings develop their own curriculum, enabling learners to develop towards the four purposes.
4. Descriptions of learning
Descriptions of learning provide guidance on how learners should progress within each statement of what matters as they journey through the continuum of learning. Learn more about descriptions of learning.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can explore and experiment with a variety of creative techniques, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies.
I can explore and experiment with and then select appropriate creative techniques, practices, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies.
I can explore and experiment independently and demonstrate technical control with a range of creative materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies showing innovation and resilience.
I can explore the effects that a range of creative techniques, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies have on my own and others’ creative work.
I can explore and experiment with my own and others’ creative ideas, demonstrating increasingly complex technical control, innovation, independent thinking and originality to develop my work with confidence, being able to explain my reasons behind choices made and evaluate their effectiveness on my creative work.
I can explore and experiment with my own creative ideas and those of others, demonstrating technical control, innovation, independent thinking and originality, showing confidence to take risks and developing resilience in order to overcome creative challenges.
I can ask questions to discover how creative work is made.
I can explore how and why creative work is made by asking questions and developing my own answers.
I can explore how creative work can represent, document, share and celebrate personal, social and cultural identities.
I can explore creative work, understanding the personal, social, cultural and historical context, including the conventions of the period in which it was created.
I can investigate and analyse how creative work is used to represent and celebrate personal, social and cultural identities.
I am beginning to explore ideas, feelings and moods in a variety of creative work.
I can explore and describe how artists and creative work communicate mood, feelings and ideas.
I can explore and describe how artists and creative work communicate mood, feelings and ideas and the impact they have on an audience.
I can investigate and understand how meaning is communicated through the ideas of other artists and performers.
I can independently research the purpose and meaning of a wide range of creative work and consider how they can impact on different audiences.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can listen to and respond to views about my own creative work and that of others.
I can give and accept feedback as both artist and audience.
I can give and consider constructive feedback about my own creative work and that of others, reflecting on it and making improvements where necessary.
I can effectively evaluate my own creative work and that of others showing increasing confidence to recognise and articulate strengths, and to demonstrate resilience and determination to improve.
I can critically and thoughtfully respond to and analyse the opinion and creative influences of others in order to independently shape and develop my own creative work.
I am beginning to compare my own creative work to the creative work of others.
I can compare my own creative work to creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can apply knowledge and understanding of context, and make connections between my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can apply knowledge and understanding of context when evaluating my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can purposefully apply knowledge and understanding of context when evaluating my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I am beginning to talk about my moods and emotions and use these to impact upon my creative work.
I can consider, with guidance, how moods, emotions and ideas are communicated both in my own creative work and in the creative work of others.
I can reflect upon how artists have achieved effects or communicated moods, emotions and ideas in their work.
I can evaluate the effectiveness of a wide range of artistic techniques in producing meaning.
I can critically evaluate the way artists use discipline-specific skills and techniques to create and communicate ideas.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can communicate my ideas, feelings and memories in my creative work.
I can communicate ideas, feelings and memories for an audience and for purposes and outcomes in my creative work.
I can combine my knowledge, experience and understanding to plan and communicate my creative work for a range of different audiences, purposes and outcomes.
I can use my experimentation and investigation to manipulate creative work with purpose and intent when communicating my ideas.
I can synthesise and apply experience, knowledge and understanding with sophistication and intent when communicating my ideas.
I can imitate established artistic techniques in the creation of my own work.
I am beginning to apply techniques in my creative work with guidance and direction.
I can draw upon my familiarity with a range of discipline-specific techniques in my creative work.
I can apply specialised technical skills in my creative work.
I can use professionally established, discipline-specific techniques confidently and convincingly in my creative work and work towards industry standard.
I am beginning to design my own creative work.
I can create my own designs and work collaboratively with others to develop creative ideas.
I can draw upon my design knowledge and make connections with greater independence to modify and develop my creative designs.
I can purposefully use my design skills and apply a range of solutions to clarify and refine final creative ideas.
I can design creative outcomes to professional and industry-standard with sophistication, clear purpose and intent.
I can share my creative work.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work in a variety of ways for different audiences, inspired by a range of stimuli and experiences.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work in formal and non-formal contexts, considering the impact of my creative work on the audience.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work showing an awareness of artistic intent and of audience.
I can consider artistic intent, purpose and audience in an informed way when performing, presenting and marketing my creative work.
I am beginning to demonstrate resilience and flexibility in approaching creative challenges.
I can identify and respond creatively to challenges with resilience and flexibility.
I can draw upon my experiences and knowledge to inform and develop strategies to overcome creative challenges with imagination and resilience.
I can use effective strategies to take risks with my own creative work and can display resilience to overcome creative challenges.
I am beginning to use creative materials safely with guidance and direction.
I can use creative materials safely and with some control under supervision.
I can safely choose and use the correct creative tools and materials with some consideration for others.
I can confidently consider myself, others, audience, participants and matters of intellectual property when creating work.
I can evaluate and judge the appropriateness of my creative work in relation to ethical and legal considerations and its effect on participants and audiences.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can explore and experiment with a variety of creative techniques, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies.
I can explore and experiment with and then select appropriate creative techniques, practices, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies.
I can explore and experiment independently and demonstrate technical control with a range of creative materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies showing innovation and resilience.
I can explore the effects that a range of creative techniques, materials, processes, resources, tools and technologies have on my own and others’ creative work.
I can explore and experiment with my own and others’ creative ideas, demonstrating increasingly complex technical control, innovation, independent thinking and originality to develop my work with confidence, being able to explain my reasons behind choices made and evaluate their effectiveness on my creative work.
I can explore and experiment with my own creative ideas and those of others, demonstrating technical control, innovation, independent thinking and originality, showing confidence to take risks and developing resilience in order to overcome creative challenges.
I can ask questions to discover how creative work is made.
I can explore how and why creative work is made by asking questions and developing my own answers.
I can explore how creative work can represent, document, share and celebrate personal, social and cultural identities.
I can explore creative work, understanding the personal, social, cultural and historical context, including the conventions of the period in which it was created.
I can investigate and analyse how creative work is used to represent and celebrate personal, social and cultural identities.
I am beginning to explore ideas, feelings and moods in a variety of creative work.
I can explore and describe how artists and creative work communicate mood, feelings and ideas.
I can explore and describe how artists and creative work communicate mood, feelings and ideas and the impact they have on an audience.
I can investigate and understand how meaning is communicated through the ideas of other artists and performers.
I can independently research the purpose and meaning of a wide range of creative work and consider how they can impact on different audiences.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can listen to and respond to views about my own creative work and that of others.
I can give and accept feedback as both artist and audience.
I can give and consider constructive feedback about my own creative work and that of others, reflecting on it and making improvements where necessary.
I can effectively evaluate my own creative work and that of others showing increasing confidence to recognise and articulate strengths, and to demonstrate resilience and determination to improve.
I can critically and thoughtfully respond to and analyse the opinion and creative influences of others in order to independently shape and develop my own creative work.
I am beginning to compare my own creative work to the creative work of others.
I can compare my own creative work to creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can apply knowledge and understanding of context, and make connections between my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can apply knowledge and understanding of context when evaluating my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I can purposefully apply knowledge and understanding of context when evaluating my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.
I am beginning to talk about my moods and emotions and use these to impact upon my creative work.
I can consider, with guidance, how moods, emotions and ideas are communicated both in my own creative work and in the creative work of others.
I can reflect upon how artists have achieved effects or communicated moods, emotions and ideas in their work.
I can evaluate the effectiveness of a wide range of artistic techniques in producing meaning.
I can critically evaluate the way artists use discipline-specific skills and techniques to create and communicate ideas.
Progression step 1 Progression step 2 Progression step 3 Progression step 4 Progression step 5 Table within Progression step 1 through 5, Column 1 refers to progression step 1 and carries on respectively. I can communicate my ideas, feelings and memories in my creative work.
I can communicate ideas, feelings and memories for an audience and for purposes and outcomes in my creative work.
I can combine my knowledge, experience and understanding to plan and communicate my creative work for a range of different audiences, purposes and outcomes.
I can use my experimentation and investigation to manipulate creative work with purpose and intent when communicating my ideas.
I can synthesise and apply experience, knowledge and understanding with sophistication and intent when communicating my ideas.
I can imitate established artistic techniques in the creation of my own work.
I am beginning to apply techniques in my creative work with guidance and direction.
I can draw upon my familiarity with a range of discipline-specific techniques in my creative work.
I can apply specialised technical skills in my creative work.
I can use professionally established, discipline-specific techniques confidently and convincingly in my creative work and work towards industry standard.
I am beginning to design my own creative work.
I can create my own designs and work collaboratively with others to develop creative ideas.
I can draw upon my design knowledge and make connections with greater independence to modify and develop my creative designs.
I can purposefully use my design skills and apply a range of solutions to clarify and refine final creative ideas.
I can design creative outcomes to professional and industry-standard with sophistication, clear purpose and intent.
I can share my creative work.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work in a variety of ways for different audiences, inspired by a range of stimuli and experiences.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work in formal and non-formal contexts, considering the impact of my creative work on the audience.
I can perform, produce, design, exhibit and share my creative work showing an awareness of artistic intent and of audience.
I can consider artistic intent, purpose and audience in an informed way when performing, presenting and marketing my creative work.
I am beginning to demonstrate resilience and flexibility in approaching creative challenges.
I can identify and respond creatively to challenges with resilience and flexibility.
I can draw upon my experiences and knowledge to inform and develop strategies to overcome creative challenges with imagination and resilience.
I can use effective strategies to take risks with my own creative work and can display resilience to overcome creative challenges.
I am beginning to use creative materials safely with guidance and direction.
I can use creative materials safely and with some control under supervision.
I can safely choose and use the correct creative tools and materials with some consideration for others.
I can confidently consider myself, others, audience, participants and matters of intellectual property when creating work.
I can evaluate and judge the appropriateness of my creative work in relation to ethical and legal considerations and its effect on participants and audiences.