LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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Foundation Expressive Arts

Foundation Expressive Arts is a 120 hour, all coursework qualification for learners aged 14 to 16 working at Entry Level and Level 1, covering Art and Design, Drama, Dance, Music, and Digital Media and Film. Literacy sits mainly in reflection, worth 30% of the marks: in Unit 1 learners discuss and evaluate two works, justifying opinions with evidence and subject vocabulary, and in Unit 2 they keep a reflective log on their own piece. Both can be spoken or written. Drama performance adds voice and character work. Numeracy is light and practical: rhythm, tempo and timing in music and dance, space and position in dance and staging, and shape and composition in art, with Appendix B mapping numeracy to Units 2 and 3 only.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Entry Level and Level 1
First taught
September 2027
Amount of literacy work
Medium
Amount of numeracy work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Discovering the work of others: Non-examination assessment (three reflective tasks on two works from two art forms), maximum 6 hours, 25%, 25 marks, set and marked by WJEC, no prescribed format, first assessed Summer 2028
  • Unit 2: Developing my own ideas: Non-examination assessment (practical piece in response to a WJEC stimulus and a reflective log), 25%, 25 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, first assessed Summer 2028
  • Unit 3: Showcasing my skills: Non-examination assessment (practical assessment, two pieces or performances from the same or different art forms), 50%, 40 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, first assessed Summer 2029

Skills that use Understanding, response and analysis

  1. Reading and viewing works to identify style, genre and techniques

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In Unit 1 learners study one work from each of two art forms, one created in or inspired by Wales and one from outside Wales, naming the style or genre and identifying the basic techniques used. They also explore existing bodies of work to inform their Unit 3 pieces.

    Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils look at two paintings, one by a Welsh artist, and fill in a card for each with its genre, such as realism or abstract, and two techniques they can see.
    Year 8
    Pupils watch two short dance extracts in different styles and complete a table comparing the movement, use of space and dynamics in each.
    Year 9
    Pupils study a Welsh song and a piece of film music, writing a short comparison of genre, tempo and dynamics and noting what makes each typical of its style.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Sections 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, pages 10 and 11; Unit 3, Section 3.1.1, page 14; Section 3.2, page 18

    “Learners should know the style/genre of their selected works.”
    Progression step 3

    • I can read closely, identifying and noting features of texts, e.g. introduction, sequence, illustrations, formality, key vocabulary.

    • I can show understanding of and use the main ideas and significant details in different texts on the same topic.

    Progression step 4

    • I can read closely, follow up and use additional material in texts to extend my understanding.

    • I can compare and contrast themes and issues across a range of texts including digital and audio-visual texts.

  2. Interpreting a stimulus from another art form

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    In Unit 2 learners select one stimulus from a range set by WJEC and must respond in a different art form, for example making music or dance from an image or text. They have to read the stimulus for meaning and mood and turn it into their own artistic intentions.

    Literacy: Reading strategies, Understanding, response and analysis

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils read a short poem and list three images and one feeling in it that they could show in a drawing.
    Year 8
    Pupils read a newspaper headline and photograph, discuss what is not said directly, and plan a short freeze frame sequence showing it.
    Year 9
    Pupils choose from three stimuli, a poem, a painting and a piece of music, explain in a few sentences what each suggests and which they will respond to in a different art form.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2, pages 12 and 13; Section 3.2, page 18

    “Learners are required to select one stimulus from a range set by WJEC.”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use inference and deduction to understand the text, and can consider the reliability of what I read.

    • I can infer ideas which are not explicitly stated, e.g. writer’s viewpoints or attitudes.

    Progression step 4

    • I can use inference and deduction to understand more complex texts, and can consider the reliability and impact of what I read.

    • I can identify different interpretations of text and information and evaluate their relative merits.

  3. Using voice and character in drama

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Drama is described as telling stories through performance using voice, movement, character and staging, and Appendix A lists vocal skills and characterisation as basic techniques. Learners who choose Drama apply these in their Unit 2 piece or Unit 3 performances.

    Literacy: Understanding, response and analysis, Collaborative talk, Clarity and vocabulary

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils read a short scene aloud in pairs, changing volume and pace to show whether their character is angry or calm.
    Year 8
    Pupils perform a monologue extract, marking the script beforehand with pauses, emphasis and changes of tone.
    Year 9
    Pupils rehearse and perform a scripted scene in a group, sustaining a character's voice throughout and adapting delivery after feedback.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.1.1, page 11; Appendix A, page 26; Unit 3, Section 3.1.2, page 15

    “It uses voice, movement, character, and staging to explore emotions, ideas, and situations.”
    Progression step 3

    • I can read a wide range of texts aloud with expression, varying intonation, voice and pace.

    • I can explore challenging or contentious issues through a variety of authentic contexts, including sustaining a role.

    Progression step 4

    • I can read a range of challenging and authentic texts aloud with expression, varying intonation, voice and pace to convey meaning.

    • I can convey meaning convincingly in a range of contexts so that the audience is fully engaged.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

There is no GCSE Expressive Arts; the specification says it gives "a broad basis for progression onto GCSE qualifications in the Expressive Arts area" (page 7). Its five art forms match GCSE Art and Design, GCSE Drama, GCSE Dance, GCSE Music and GCSE Digital Media and Film, which all use subject vocabulary, analysis of other people's work, reflective logs and spoken feedback, but add written examinations with extended answers. The rhythm, tempo, staging and scale work links with the counts and timing in GCSE Dance and GCSE Music and the ground plans in GCSE Drama, and supports GCSE English Language and Literature through evaluative writing and talk.

Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation Expressive Arts specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).