Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards making music education and the opportunity to learn a musical instrument available for all children and young people.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

This government believes that music is an essential part of the well-rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. That is why music is included in the national curriculum for all maintained schools, for students aged 5 to 14. To support the delivery of music education, the government has committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme, including the 2024/25 academic year.

The 43 Music Hubs partnerships across England offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access to musical instruments, the government is investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment, and technology from the 2024/25 academic year. This funding enables Music Hubs partnerships to better cater to the needs of the children and young people they work with.

The government is also investing £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over a four year period from the 2024/25 academic year to the 2027/28 academic year, backed by a further £3.85 million funding from Arts Council England and Youth Music. The pilot is delivered by Young Sounds UK in 12 areas of the country and aims to help disadvantaged children and young people, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities, to learn how to play an instrument of their choice or learn to sing to a high standard.

On 18 March 2025, the government announced its intention to launch a National Centre for Arts and Music Education to promote opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school, including through the government’s network of Music Hubs. The intention is to launch in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course.

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