Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of non-curriculum activities on the teaching of the core curriculum in state schools in England.

The department has made no specific assessment on this matter as it is up to schools themselves to decide how to organise curricular and non-curricular activities.

All schools have to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. Ofsted is currently consulting on proposals for a new inspection framework which has a strong emphasis on curriculm, alongside a focus on pupils’ personal development and extra-curricular opportunities.

The attached table, taken from the School workforce in England 2017 publication, indicates that in state funded secondary schools the proportion of all teaching time spent on core subjects has increased.