Music Education: State Schools

Baroness Fleet Excerpts

Tuesday 24th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Fleet (Con)]

My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Keeley, and I pay tribute to her for securing this debate. I declare my interest as chair and co-founder of the London Music Fund, and former chair of the model music curriculum and the national plan for music education. I am very much looking forward to the noble Baroness, Lady Debbonaire, making her maiden speech.

No Government in the last 25 years have done enough to support and promote music education. What do they not understand? Music brings young people together. It enriches lives. It helps emotional and social development. Music helps reading, listening, concentration and memory. And all this filters through to help with grades and exams. Music changes lives.

The previous Government made a start and published the national plan for music education in 2022, which was delivered by teachers working with music hubs across the country with guaranteed funding—it was never enough but a start. What did the Labour Government do? They pulled the plug on the national plan. Since then, there has been nothing but uncertainty and anxiety. Has funding been secured? No. Have music hubs been supported? No. Have specialist teachers been reassured? No. Have hubs been exempted from additional NI contributions? No. What are the plans to reduce the administrative burden on hubs?

Astonishingly, despite strong headwinds, many schools—not enough, but many—deliver outstanding music education. That is thanks only to the dogged determination of music leaders and teachers. We heard today that the brilliant music and dance scheme is secure for a year—but then what? As for the proposed national centre for arts and music, there is confusion and dismay. Will it be a new bureaucracy or just an information centre? There is no budget and no brief, just delay.

Schools can only build music departments with at least three years of funding, to allow everyone to plan properly. With the support of an ambitious trust, music could be delivered in every school. We await the Professor Becky Francis curriculum review. However, as of today, all those in music and the arts feel utterly let down by this Government.