Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of schools cutting subjects from the curriculum on the need to protect arts subjects.

The guidance for full opening of schools published on the 2 July makes clear that all state-funded schools are expected to re-establish a broad and ambitious curriculum and teach all subjects in their curriculum from the start of the autumn term, but can make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content.

This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

All state-funded schools in England have a duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum. This includes English, mathematics, science, religious education and – from next academic year – relationships, sex and health education. Only maintained schools are required to teach the full National Curriculum, including art and design, and music. Academies are, however, expected to teach a curriculum that is comparable in breadth and ambition, and many choose to teach the full National Curriculum to achieve this.