Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hours of (1) art and design, (2) music, (3) drama,( 4) design and technology, (5) history, and (6) geography were taught at key stage 3 in state secondary schools in England in each year from 2010 to 2017.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The requested information is shown in the attached table.
As the total number of hours taught to key stage 3 year groups varies each year, the percentage of time spent teaching each of the subjects requested has also been provided for context. The figures shown in the attached table cover teaching in years 7, 8 and 9.
Information on subjects taught at key stage 3 is collected from a large sample of schools, this is then weighted and grossed to provide national totals. The percentage of schools returning this information each year has been provided for context.
Schools have the freedom to decide how to teach the curriculum, but must make sure it is broad and balanced, offering a range of subjects to help pupils progress through acquiring knowledge, understanding and skills.
Traditionally GCSEs are two year courses of study that pupils start in year 10. The new national curriculum and reformed GCSEs are designed so that key stage 3 plays an important role in preparing pupils for natural progression to GCSEs.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students were in key stage 3 in state secondary schools in England in each year from 2010 to 2017; and what was the annual percentage change in the number of students for each of those years.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The requested information is shown in the table below:
Number of pupils by key stages 3 and 4 in secondary schools
year | key stage 3 | % change | key stage 4 | % change | |
2010 | 1,677,023 | n/a | 1,134,938 | n/a | |
2011 | 1,670,486 | -0.4 | 1,117,700 | -1.5 | |
2012 | 1,640,040 | -1.8 | 1,121,510 | 0.3 | |
2013 | 1,610,360 | -1.8 | 1,117,765 | -0.3 | |
2014 | 1,585,635 | -1.5 | 1,100,400 | -1.6 | |
2015 | 1,595,066 | 0.6 | 1,082,750 | -1.6 | |
2016 | 1,630,578 | 2.2 | 1,059,175 | -2.2 | |
2017 | 1,678,497 | 2.9 | 1,043,635 | -1.5 | |
Source: School Census
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students were in key stage 4 in state secondary schools in England in each year from 2010 to 2017; and what was the annual percentage change in the number of students for each of those years.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The requested information is shown in the table below:
Number of pupils by key stages 3 and 4 in secondary schools
year | key stage 3 | % change | key stage 4 | % change | |
2010 | 1,677,023 | n/a | 1,134,938 | n/a | |
2011 | 1,670,486 | -0.4 | 1,117,700 | -1.5 | |
2012 | 1,640,040 | -1.8 | 1,121,510 | 0.3 | |
2013 | 1,610,360 | -1.8 | 1,117,765 | -0.3 | |
2014 | 1,585,635 | -1.5 | 1,100,400 | -1.6 | |
2015 | 1,595,066 | 0.6 | 1,082,750 | -1.6 | |
2016 | 1,630,578 | 2.2 | 1,059,175 | -2.2 | |
2017 | 1,678,497 | 2.9 | 1,043,635 | -1.5 | |
Source: School Census
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports or assessments they have made or received on the quality and quantity of music education at primary level education outside school activities since September 2015; and in each case for which year.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Responses to the Department for Education’s ‘Teacher Voice Omnibus’ Survey (conducted between May and June 2016), indicated that the median average time primary school teachers spent teaching music as a dedicated subject was 30 minutes per week. The amount of provision and support provided by music education hubs to augment this, is set out in annual reports published by Arts Council England. In 2015/16, the latest year for which data has been published, hubs provided or supported 14,866 ensembles and choirs, including 6,887 that are area-based. 342,225 children and young people regularly took part in these, including 34,724 key stage 1 pupils and 174,657 key stage 2 pupils. The 2015/16 report is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports or assessments they have made or received on the quality and quantity of music education provided by schools at primary level, including how this has been augmented and supported by music education hubs; and in each case for which year.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Responses to the Department for Education’s ‘Teacher Voice Omnibus’ Survey (conducted between May and June 2016), indicated that the median average time primary school teachers spent teaching music as a dedicated subject was 30 minutes per week. The amount of provision and support provided by music education hubs to augment this, is set out in annual reports published by Arts Council England. In 2015/16, the latest year for which data has been published, hubs provided or supported 14,866 ensembles and choirs, including 6,887 that are area-based. 342,225 children and young people regularly took part in these, including 34,724 key stage 1 pupils and 174,657 key stage 2 pupils. The 2015/16 report is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have taken music subjects at GCSE level for each year since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The figures presented in the table below show the total number of pupils, at the end of key stage 4,[1] who entered GCSE (or equivalent) music since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (2009/10).[2]
Academic year | Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | Pupils entering GCSE music[3] | Percentage of pupils entering GCSE music3 |
|
2009/10 | 639,263 | 45,433 | 7 |
|
2010/11 | 627,093 | 43,157 | 7 |
|
2011/12 | 620,617 | 40,761 | 7 |
|
2012/13 | 632,397 | 41,256 | 7 |
|
2013/14[4] | 618,437 | 42,446 | 7 |
|
2014/15 | 611,024 | 43,698 | 7 |
|
2015/16 | 600,425 | 41,650 | 7 |
|
2016/17 | 587,640 | 38,901[5] | 7 |
|
[1] Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (subject time series table).
[3] Includes pupils who were absent, whose results are pending, and results which are ungraded or unclassified.
[4] In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of key stage 4 performance measures data. These are:
1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education recommendations which: restrict the qualifications counted; prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the number of non-GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil.
2) An early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects counted in the English Baccalaureate.
[5] 2017 figures are based on provisional data. Figures for all other years are final.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made since April 2016 of the effect of changes to funding of local music services on community music ensembles, particularly youth music ensembles and choirs, and on progression routes through to national ensembles and conservatoires for the most talented.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In addition to funding that schools receive to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, department funding for music education hubs has increased from £58 million in 2014/15 to £75 million each year until 2020. Music education hubs support and enhance the quality of music teaching in schools, reaching beyond school boundaries, to ensure that the aims of the National Plan are delivered. In addition, we recently announced £96 million for arts education in 2018-20, including over £60 million for the Music and Dance Scheme, which enables our most talented young musicians to attend specialist institutions.
Since April 2016 the department has not made any assessment of the effect of changes to funding of local music services. However, since 2013, Arts Council England has commissioned an independent analysis of Music Education Hubs’ annual performance. The reports, which provide information on music education hubs’ activities, including their support for ensembles and choirs, are at: www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and-young-people/music-education-hubs-survey The most recent of these reports is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimates they have made of the additional investment needed to enable all young people to access high-quality music education, to learn a musical instrument and to enable clear progression routes to be available and affordable to all those who wish to continue.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In addition to funding that schools receive to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, department funding for music education hubs has increased from £58 million in 2014/15 to £75 million each year until 2020. Music education hubs support and enhance the quality of music teaching in schools, reaching beyond school boundaries, to ensure that the aims of the National Plan are delivered.
The department has not made estimates of the additional investment needed to enable all young people to access high-quality music education. However, the National Plan for Music Education made it clear that in most cases Department for Education funding would be only one of a number of funding sources available to music education hubs.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports or assessments they have received from Ofsted about whether schools are implementing a broad and balanced curriculum that includes music; and any action being taken if schools are judged on this measure as "inadequate", particularly in schools that are otherwise judged to be outstanding.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
All schools should provide pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum. While Ofsted does not grade individual curriculum subjects as part of school inspections, it does assess and report on the curriculum as a whole. Where a school is found not to be offering a curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, this will be reflected in the inspection outcome.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, is examining how schools deliver the curriculum as part of its research programme. Attached is a recent recent commentary, published by Ofsted, on the primary and secondary curriculum in which the Chief Inspector emphasises the importance of breadth in the curriculum. Findings from Ofsted’s curriculum review will help inform the development of its 2019 inspection framework.