Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support creative education in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and this response relates to state-funded schools in England only.
On 5 November, the government issued the response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out the changes that will be made to the national curriculum, as well as reforms to qualifications, school accountability and enrichment. The first teaching of a refreshed curriculum will be September 2028, and will include improvements in music, art and design, dance in PE, and drama in English.
We will also consult on an improved version of Progress 8 that balances a strong academic core with breadth.
Next year, the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will support excellent teacher training in the arts, boost partnerships between schools and cultural organisations and promote arts opportunities.
Asked by: Jonathan Brash (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Music and Dance Scheme on (a) trends in the level of regional economic growth and (b) contributing to the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) have providers in every region of England and is open to young people across the UK. It supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians and dancers.
The department currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Jonathan Brash (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the costs and benefits of the Music and Dance Scheme.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) have providers in every region of England and is open to young people across the UK. It supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians and dancers.
The department currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to (a) arts and (b) culture in (i) Surrey Heath constituency and (ii) Surrey.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Arts Council England (ACE) has provided over £11.5 million of funding between 2024 and 2025 to arts and cultural organisations and projects in Surrey. This includes support for projects like The Surrey Youth Arts & Culture Festival, a Surrey County Council partnership led project based in Camberley Library and Camberley Theatre which aims to raise aspirations and break down barriers to engagement for young people accessing creative skills development.
In addition, organisations, such as Farnham Maltings in Surrey are in receipt of over £1.9 million per annum as part of ACE’s National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) programme. This NPO offers a wide range of inclusive events, including theatre, dance, crafts, and workshops to people of all ages and backgrounds across the area.
In February, the Secretary of State announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund. This includes support to museums, arts and music venues across the country and is a critical step that this Government is taking to help create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.
Asked by: Earl of Effingham (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Blake of Leeds on 16 October (HL Deb col 81GC–84GC) and the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 5 November (HL11244), what steps they will take to continue to provide funding to the eight specialist music and dance schools through the Music and Dance Scheme beyond this academic year.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As Baroness Blake of Leeds set out in the Question for Short Debate on 16 October (HL Deb col 81GC 84GC), the Music and Dance Scheme is a long-term commitment and future funding for the scheme beyond this academic year will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to their curriculum and assessment review, what will be the status of arts subjects compared to other subjects within the Progress 8 accountability framework.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is revitalising arts education as part of the reformed national curriculum. Our proposed improvements to the ‘Progress 8’ model would recognise the value of subjects, including the arts, which strengthen our economy and society, and the importance of a broad pre-16 curriculum.
The government will consult on the proposed Progress 8 model. This proposed model includes English and mathematics slots, which follow the same rules as the current Progress 8, and two new science slots. There are four breadth slots, two of which must be filled by GCSE (or relevant AS level) qualifications from two of three categories: humanities, creative and languages. The creative category includes art and design, music, drama, dance, design and technology. The department will consult on an additional category for science subjects. We are interested in views on the impact of these breadth slots on pupil subject choices for GCSEs and technical qualifications.
The final breadth slots will take the two highest point scores in any two subjects, including English language or literature (if not counted in the English slot), other GCSE qualifications, or any technical awards from the department’s approved list. These final two slots will operate in the same way as the current open slots.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide longer-term funding certainty for schools supported by the Music and Dance Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 79898.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that talented children from non-privileged backgrounds continue to have access to specialist music and dance schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 79898.
Asked by: Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what provision they are making to ensure that specialist music and dance schools continue to be financially supported so that they are able to offer places on the basis of talent and potential, not ability to pay.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 79898.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Creative Industries Sector Vision (a) supports and (b) expands (i) existing skills training schemes and (ii) new training programmes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, sets out our approach to developing a high quality, responsive, inclusive and targeted education, skills and training offer, meeting the workforce requirements of the creative industries.
This includes refining and developing the growth and skills offer to deliver apprenticeships and skills training that recognise the particular needs of the sector, supporting existing schemes like flexi-job apprenticeships, and introducing new flexibilities such as short courses. The Government introduced new creative Higher Technical Qualifications in September, and will continue to expand the quantity of creative training pathways more broadly, including through further regional creative skills bootcamps.
Access to a high-quality arts education supports the pipeline into the creative industries and cultural sectors. Under this government, access will not be the preserve of the privileged few, but the entitlement of every child. The Curriculum and Assessment Review and the government's response has been published. We are committing to revitalising arts education, putting it back at the heart of a rich and broad curriculum through high-quality support for teachers of creative subjects and the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre for Arts and Music Education will launch in September 2026, improving access and opportunity for children and young people and strengthening collaboration between schools and industry. It will promote high quality arts education, provide continuous professional development to teachers, and boost partnerships between schools and creative organisations.
We are also supporting music and dance through Arts Council England which provides £450,000 per annum to the National Youth Dance Company, which offers high-quality training and performance opportunities; and £420,000 per annum to the National Youth Music Organisations who help develop talented young musicians across all kinds of music styles.