Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Ofsted's new criteria make their assessment of the role of the creative arts in the curriculum essential to educational establishments receiving a "good" report.

Ofsted is currently undertaking a consultation on its proposed new education inspection framework. The consultation runs until 5 April. Under its proposals, inspectors will assess the extent to which schools are providing a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils. Ofsted has proposed that the benchmark for coverage and content of a school’s curriculum should be the national curriculum, which includes the arts.