How could expressive arts sessions relate to the four purposes of the curriculum?

How could expressive arts sessions relate to the four purposes of the curriculum?

Many primary schools across the UK are not teaching expressive arts effectively according to Sharp, 1990, she suggests that it is due to a vicious circle of poor arts provision and that teachers may not feel at ease when teaching expressive arts due to themselves not having a wide experience of the arts. Similarly, Davies also suggests that many teachers are falling behind certain aspects of the curriculum which can be related to the arts. Furthermore, BBC highlight that creativity and the arts are being squeezed out of schools, which is leading to opportunities being closed off and concerns are growing that the education system is not focusing on the future needs of the cultural and creative industries and the broader needs for innovation and growth in the UK.

However, with the education reform occurring in Wales, this is set to change as expressive arts are to become more inclusive within the curriculum.

Donaldson has implemented expressive arts throughout the new curriculum, as he suggests that expressive arts can encourage children and young people to develop their creative appreciation and talent (Donaldson, 2015). Furthermore, expressive arts can provide opportunities to explore thinking, refine and communicate idea, engage thinking, imagination and sense creatively according to Conwy Expressive Arts and Music Service, additionally, it is apparent that expressive arts are an important aspect within the curriculum therefore, it is important that schools offer the subject and it can be incorporated within the classroom.

The Successful Futures highlights that expressive arts provides inspiration and motivation as they bring children and young people into contact with the creative processes, performance and produces of others which simulates their own experimentation and creativity, this links in with the four purposes Donaldson produced in order to strengthen the curriculum.

The first purpose of the curriculum is to help all children and young people to become ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives. Donaldson suggests that expressive arts provides creativity and encourages communication and thinking, this links closely to ambitious capable learners as pupils can potentially be encouraged and explore new areas such as playing a musical instrument or even acting. By having the opportunity to experience new ideas pupils will certainly have the chance to become ambitious and capable learners.

Another purpose of Donaldson’s new curriculum is for pupils to become enterprising and creative contributors within society. Within the successful futures reform Donaldson expresses that the arts will provide inspiration and motivation as they bring pupils into contact with the creativity process and performances. This clearly indicates that expressive arts can certainly contribute to children’s creativity, in addition schools should be providing challenges which can work collaboratively on as well as pupils learning from critical appraisal of their work (Donaldson, 2015), additionally stating that children should be taught through expressive arts and how it can be linked with other key subjects.

Within the successful futures another purpose is that learners should be ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world, ready to be citizens of Wales and the world. Expressive arts can certainly encourage learners to become this for numerous reasons, and one reason being St David’s Day. Within many schools across Wales St David’s Day is an extremely prestigious event and expressive arts play a role within the day, with activities ranging from performances, to singing and even dressing up the day involves many influential lessons which informs children on ethics of the Welsh culture through the use of expressive arts. Pembroke Dock Community School sang the Welsh National anthem, and wrote Welsh poems on St David’s Day which indicates that expressive arts can be used in an authentic manner and relates to the four purposes. Furthermore, schools can also integrate expressive arts into other cultural celebrations such as Chinese new year by creating traditional dances or creating traditional Chinese calendars, this can then help towards creating an extended knowledge in other cultures and how to become more respectful towards others.

The final purpose is for children to become healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society. Logan exclaims that the expressive arts are they key to confidence, as she is a teacher and experienced how expressive arts developed student’s confidence in many ways, furthermore, Donaldson suggests that schools should encourage pupils to develop resilience and feel confident. Expressive arts education is life-enhancing and is central to children’s development linking to confidence according to the Irish national teacher’s organisation, this suggests that expressive arts and Donaldson’s purposes clearly have close connections with the four purposes. Expressive arts can encourage children to express themselves more creating positive impacts mentally and physically according to the University of Montana, this suggests that expressive arts can give children the opportunity to become confident and healthy individuals ready to lead fulfilling lives.

Over all, expressive arts should be taught competently within schools across the county and should be offer children the opportunity to learn new exciting things. It should also be incorporated alongside other subjects which links to Donaldson’s successful futures in order for all pupils to reach their potentials and become capable and ambitious learners.

Reference list

BBC (2015) Arts and creativity 'squeezed out of schools'. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31518717 (Accessed: 18th February 2015).

Conwy Expressive Art and Music Service (2015) The Expressive Arts are proposed as one of the six areas of learning and experience in Professor Donaldson's Review of the Education Curriculum in Wales. Available at: https://www.conwyartsandmusic.org.uk/en/updates/2015-03-03-the-expressive-arts-are-proposed-as-one-of-six-areas-of-learning-and-experience-in-professor-donaldsons-review-of-the-education-curriculum-in-wales (Accessed: 3rd March 2015).

Davies, D. (2010). Enhancing the Role of the Arts in Primary Pre-Service Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 26(3), pp. 630-638.

Donaldson, G. (2015). Successful Futures: Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government. Crown

Irish National Teacher’s Organisation (2009) Creativity and the Arts in Primary school. Available at: https://www.into.ie/ROI/Publications/CreativityArtsinthePS.pdf (Accessed: May 2009).

Sharp, C. (1990) Developing the arts in primary schools. Available at: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/91072/91072.pdf (Accessed: March 1990).

University of Montana (2015) Expressive arts as a means of increasing well-being in children. Available at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1043&context=utpp (Accessed: 15th May 2015).