The arts are an essential pillar of early childhood education, according to a new set of standards released by the United Kingdom's Department of Education."Expressive arts and design" is listed as one of only four specific areas that must be supported by early education providers, the others being "literacy," "mathematics," and "understanding the world." The UKDOE defined "expressive arts and design" as follows:

Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

The inclusion of the arts in this set of standards demonstrates an understanding of the critical personal, social, and emotional developmental role the arts play in early childhood, and represents a giant leap forward for arts education advocates in the U.K.

Download the Full Statutory Framework (PDF)