Music: GCSE

(asked on 25th September 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to increase the number of pupils taking GCSE music.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 30th September 2019

The Government believes that music is an important subject and that all pupils should receive a high quality music education, up until at least the age of 14. The subject is compulsory in the National Curriculum, and the Government is providing funding of over £300 million for music education hubs between 2016 and 2020.

The Department hopes all pupils who want to study music at GCSE will have the opportunity to do so. Since 2009-10, the percentage of the GCSE cohort in state funded schools who take music GCSE has fluctuated but remained broadly stable between 6 and 7%. It currently stands at 6%.

In order to ensure all pupils are able to enjoy a high quality music education, the Department is developing and publishing a non-statutory model music curriculum for Key Stages 1-3.

The model curriculum will provide pupils with the knowledge and skills which enable them to embark with confidence on a GCSE course of study.

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