Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she supports arts programs in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is committed to revitalising arts education in schools, including changes to the curriculum, qualifications, accountability and enrichment.

We are consulting on an improved Progress 8 model, which balances a strong academic core with breadth and student choice. The current structure has hampered progress in subjects that strengthen our economy and society, including the arts. The improved version recognises the value of these subjects.

The department is supporting arts in schools through a £13 million investment in the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, which will launch in September 2026 to provide strategic national leadership, support excellent teaching, and promote arts opportunities, ensuring every child can access a high‑quality arts education.

The department provides significant funding for the Music Hub network, Music Opportunities Pilot, Music and Dance Scheme, and Dance and Drama Awards, all designed to improve equity in the arts, mainly in schools and colleges.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committed £22.5 million enrichment in up to 400 schools, across all types of enrichment activity, including arts and culture.

Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of DCMS, provides funding to a range of programmes that support arts in schools. As part of the government’s recent response to the independent review of Arts Council England, the department has committed to enabling all children across the country to have access to excellent culture in both schools and communities.