Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of schools rated as good or outstanding which do not provide music education of this standard; and what steps they intend to take to improve the teaching of music in such schools.

The information requested regarding information on individual schools and whether they provide music education is not held centrally.

The government is clear that music is an important subject and that all pupils should receive a high quality music education, at least up to the age of 14. That is why the subject is compulsory in the national curriculum and why this government is providing funding of over £300 million for music education hubs between 2016 and 2020.

In order to ensure all pupils are able to enjoy a high quality music education, we are developing and publishing a non-statutory model music curriculum for key stages 1 to 3. This will expand on the statutory programmes of study and act as a benchmark for all schools.

Ofsted’s new education inspection framework, which comes into effect in September, has a strong emphasis on ensuring schools provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all their pupils.