Reception Expressive Arts and Design report comments
Expressive Arts and Design covers creating with materials and being imaginative and expressive: art, making, role play, music and dance. These Reception comments are written against the Early Learning Goals.
15 example comments across 3 levels, plus 6 next steps. Type a name below to fill in every comment.
Strong progress, securely at the expected level
[Pupil] is a wonderfully creative learner. They choose materials with purpose, try out their own ideas and talk about what they have made and why.
[Pupil] brings stories to life in role play, inventing characters and narratives and inviting friends to join in. Their imagination is a joy to watch.
[Pupil] loves music. They sing songs and rhymes from memory, keep a steady beat and move to music with real expression.
[Pupil] uses a wide range of tools and techniques with confidence, mixing colours, joining materials and adapting their work as they go.
[Pupil] shares their creations with pride and explains their process clearly. They also take an interest in what others have made and offer kind comments.
At the expected level of development
[Pupil] enjoys creative activities and is happy to explore different materials. They are beginning to plan what they want to make and talk about their choices.
[Pupil] joins in with role play and enjoys taking on characters from familiar stories. Developing their own storylines is the next step.
[Pupil] enjoys singing and joins in with familiar songs and rhymes. They are learning to move in time to music.
[Pupil] uses a range of materials and tools safely. They are learning ways to join materials and to mix colours.
[Pupil] is developing their creativity and enjoys making things for friends and family. Talking about what they have made will help them develop their ideas further.
Emerging: still working towards the expected level
[Pupil] is beginning to explore paint, play dough and other materials. With encouragement they are becoming more willing to try new creative activities.
[Pupil] enjoys watching others in role play and is starting to join in with familiar games. We will keep supporting them to share their ideas.
[Pupil] enjoys listening to music and is beginning to join in with actions to songs. Singing nursery rhymes together at home will help.
[Pupil] is learning to use tools such as scissors and glue sticks with support. Lots of practice with drawing and making at home will build their confidence.
[Pupil] is developing their imagination through play. They benefit from an adult modelling ideas and are starting to use these in their own play.
Reception expressive arts and design next steps
Finish a comment with one specific, achievable target. Parents find these the most useful line in a report.
- Plan what they want to make and choose materials to match.
- Explain what they have made and how they made it.
- Invent their own stories and characters in role play.
- Sing a range of songs and rhymes from memory.
- Move in time to music and keep a steady beat.
- Use scissors and other tools with growing control.
How to use these comments
Replace [Pupil] with the child's first name and adjust any detail that does not fit your class or school style. These comments are designed to be a solid starting point, not a finished product. The best report comments are the ones where you have added something specific about that child: a particular achievement, a moment you remember, a challenge they have worked through.
If you want to generate comments that are already specific to your pupils, Staffroom does exactly that. Add your notes about each child, choose a tone, and the comments it generates will be genuinely personal rather than adapted from a template.