Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students in state maintained schools were (a) offered and (b) took up (i) musical instrument lessons, (ii) free or means-tested music tuition and (iii) free or means-tested access to musical instruments in each of the last three years.

The National Curriculum sets the expectation that all pupils should be taught to play a musical instrument. Maintained schools must follow the National Curriculum; academies have greater flexibility.

The Government is investing £300 million for music education hubs in 2016 to 2020 to ensure all pupils, whatever their background, have access to a high quality music education, including learning to play musical instruments and having the opportunity to play and sing in ensembles. Hubs are also expected to ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people and to provide an instrument loan service, with discounts or free provision for those on low incomes.

The Department does not hold the data in the format requested. The table below shows the number of pupils in Key Stages 1 to 5 that participated in music lessons that were organised by music education hubs. The data are for the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15, which are the three most recent academic years for which data has been published.

Further data on music education hubs can be found on Arts Council England’s website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and-young-people/music-education-hubs-survey.

Access to music lessons by pupils in Key Stages 1 to 5 in England via music education hubs

n/a = data not available Source: Music Education Hubs Survey