PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Arts: Education (2 June 2020)

The Government believes all pupils should have access to an excellent well-rounded education and the arts are central to this. A high-quality arts education should not be the preserve of the elite but the entitlement of every child. That is why music, art and design, drama and dance are included in the national curriculum and compulsory in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to 14. Post-14, all pupils in maintained schools must be offered the opportunity to study at least one subject in the arts.

Ofsted’s inspection arrangements place a focus on schools ensuring all pupils receive a broad, balanced, and ambitious curriculum, including the arts and as exemplified by the national curriculum.

In addition, between 2016-20 the Department provided almost £500 million of funding for a range of creative and performance arts education programmes including Music Education Hubs, the Music and Dance Scheme, the Dance and Drama Awards, and a set of diverse cultural education programmes. In early January 2020, we announced funding of £85 million for music and arts in 2020-21; £80 million for music hubs coupled with further investment in film, dance, theatre, and design. Across these programmes there is a focus on inclusion of disadvantaged pupils as part of their provision.