Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support creative learning in schools to encourage children to seek careers in such learning.

The Government believes all pupils should have access to an excellent, well-rounded education. All schools must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school.

The national curriculum, provides many opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of creative subjects, including art and design, music and design, and technology.

We have announced almost £400 million of funding in 2016-20 for a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. This includes £300 million for music education hubs in 2016-20 and over £8 million in 2016-18 for cultural education programmes including Saturday Art and Design Clubs, the National Youth Dance Company and the BFI’s Film Academy programme. It also includes £58 million for the Music and Dance Scheme and £27m for the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme (both in 2016-18), which allow exceptionally talented children and young people to attend specialist music, dance and drama institutions.