Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase the provision of creative subjects in EBacc qualifications.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is clear that all pupils should be taught a broad and balanced curriculum. The best schools combine creative subjects with core subjects, and the Department is committed to ensuring that all pupils engage with both. There are no plans to add any additional subjects to those included in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure. The EBacc was designed to be limited in size to allow pupils time to study other areas such as creative subjects.
The Department believes in a high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this is cultural education, which includes drama, dance, music and art. All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over three years, through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The Department will also be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced in 2022, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The Plan will focus on how the Government can support participation and progression in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
Schools and colleges make decisions themselves regarding which A levels they provide based on a range of factors, and this includes responding to pupil demand.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of rises in the cost of living on the uptake of extracurricular performing arts classes in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) further and (d) higher education; and whether she is taking steps to increase engagement in the performing arts in (i) schools and (ii) other educational establishments.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. The performing arts are a core part of the school curriculum and also supported through extracurricular activities to children and young people.
The Department regularly asks about pupil participation in extracurricular performing arts activities in ‘parent, pupil and learner panel’ surveys. In the most recent published wave in which the questions were asked (the November wave from the 2022/23 academic year), 19% of pupils reported that they had participated in extracurricular performing arts activities in that term. The Department will continue to monitor the uptake of performing arts and other extracurricular activities, and investigate reasons for any significant changes or trends.
An additional £1.6 billion in funding has been made available for 16-19 education between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 academic years. This includes an up-front cash boost which will see the rate of funding per student increase by over 8% in 2022/23.
The Department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year which have affected university students. In addition to the cost of living measures already announced, the Department discusses cost of living pressures that are affecting students in its regular meetings with stakeholders, including the Office for Students (OfS), Universities UK and other HE representative groups. The Department also consulted with the National Association of Student Money Advisers to understand the ongoing situation in relation to increased requests from students for hardship awards from their universities.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum on cultural education over three years, through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The Plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
In addition, the Department wants to ensure that HE specialist providers, many of which specialise in arts provision, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.
On 8 December 2022, the OfS published the list of successful HE providers who have been identified as world-leading specialists by the Specialist Provider Panel. The current list of world-leading specialist providers includes 13 providers specialising in the arts. This funding will help improve the diversity and quality of creative education provision available to students.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to help increase participation in the performing arts among (a) children and (b) young people, particularly those from (i) disadvantaged backgrounds and (ii) groups underrepresented in the sector.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
My Department is committed to broadening access to arts and culture for children and young people across the country, regardless of their background.
Arts Council England’s recent announcement of the 2023-26 Investment Programme will see a record number of organisations receiving funding, in more parts of the country than ever before. It also includes a 20% increase in the number of organisations which are funded to deliver work for children and young people; 79% of the organisations in this portfolio will be delivering activity specifically for children and young people. Programmes supported through the new portfolio will support children and young people to take part in creative and cultural activities at all ages - from early years to young adulthood.
Separately, the Government funds a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve participation in the arts for all children, including the National Saturday Club, which gives 13 to 16-year-olds across the country the opportunity to participate in creative learning programmes, studying the subjects they love for free, on a Saturday at their local university, college or cultural institution.
In addition, the Schools White Paper (2022) sets out that the Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport will publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. A key aim of this Plan is to tackle the barriers to accessing cultural education.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for changes in the level of entries for GCSE and A Level qualifications in performing arts subjects in the last two years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. A cultural education, including the wider performing arts, is central to providing a high quality education for all pupils.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver an ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
There are no plans to assess the reasons for changes in GCSE and A level entries. The Department does regularly publish entry statistics for GCSEs, A levels and technical awards. Over the past four years, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils in state funded schools taking at least one arts GCSE between 2018/19 and 2021/22 has gone from 44.5% to 42%. Over the same period the percentage taking at least one arts qualification (GCSE or technical award) has gone from 52.3% to 52.4%.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the expert advisory panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
The Cultural Education Plan will cover a range of arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama and dance. The Government does not intend to produce detailed plans in specific arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of extending the music education hub model to (a) dance, (b) drama and (c) other performing arts.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. A cultural education, including the wider performing arts, is central to providing a high quality education for all pupils.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver an ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
There are no plans to assess the reasons for changes in GCSE and A level entries. The Department does regularly publish entry statistics for GCSEs, A levels and technical awards. Over the past four years, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils in state funded schools taking at least one arts GCSE between 2018/19 and 2021/22 has gone from 44.5% to 42%. Over the same period the percentage taking at least one arts qualification (GCSE or technical award) has gone from 52.3% to 52.4%.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the expert advisory panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
The Cultural Education Plan will cover a range of arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama and dance. The Government does not intend to produce detailed plans in specific arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what investment they are making in the UK’s cultural infrastructure.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is investing in cultural infrastructure across the country through a number of funding programmes. The second round of the Levelling Up Fund, announced in January 2023, saw £546 million of investment into 31 culture and heritage projects across the country.
The Government funds Arts Council England, which awarded £22.7 million from its Capital Investment Programme in 2022/23, providing 66 cultural organisations grants of between £100,000 and £750,000. This programme aims to strengthen cultural infrastructure by supporting organisations to adapt buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, to improve access, to seize on technological opportunities, and to reduce their environmental impact.
Alongside this, the Government’s Cultural Development Fund — a manifesto commitment — has provided £44 million of capital investment in transformative, place-based creative and cultural initiatives in rounds 1 and 2. These rounds provided support to 12 projects across the country. The successful recipients of the £32.4 million third round of the Fund will be announced in Spring 2023. Round 1 of the Libraries Improvement Fund is also investing £5 million in 25 library services to upgrade their buildings and technology.
The Government has also invested £95 million in Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones scheme, which targets 67 high streets across England to encourage economic growth and increase pride in place. Additionally, the £82 million Museum Estate and Development Fund, an open-access capital fund for non-national accredited museums in England, provides funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs. In round one of the project in 2022, a total of £18.8 million was awarded to 31 museums. Additionally, in 2022-24, the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund will continue to invest in the display and accessibility of collections across England, taking to £52 million the amount invested since the programme was created in 2002.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current status of the Arts Premium funding for secondary schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department believes in a high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this is cultural education, including teaching music and the wider arts. All state-funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development.
The department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over three years, through our music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The department published the Model Music Curriculum in 2021 and a refreshed National Plan for Music Education in 2022 to support teachers in delivering high-quality music education. The National Plan for Music Education was jointly published by the department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2022, and sets out a vision for music education to 2030, to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
The department will also publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year and other panel members will be announced in due course.
The plan will further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative and cultural industries and will cover a range of wider arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama, dance and the wider performing arts. The department does not intend to produce detailed plans in other arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
With the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education, the department’s priorities have been to focus on education recovery in the recent Spending Review. The government remains committed to the ambitions for a Cultural Education Plan and will give consideration to the future of the Arts Premium in due course.
The department does not collect information on spending in arts education at independent schools. The department does publish information on entries in arts qualifications at Key Stage 4 by type of school, including in GCSEs. In the 2021/22 academic year, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils taking at least one arts qualification in state-funded schools was 52.4%, while the equivalent proportion for independent schools was 42.3%.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the discrepancy in the (1) scale, and (2) investment, of arts education in (a) state schools, and (b) independent schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department believes in a high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this is cultural education, including teaching music and the wider arts. All state-funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development.
The department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over three years, through our music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The department published the Model Music Curriculum in 2021 and a refreshed National Plan for Music Education in 2022 to support teachers in delivering high-quality music education. The National Plan for Music Education was jointly published by the department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2022, and sets out a vision for music education to 2030, to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
The department will also publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year and other panel members will be announced in due course.
The plan will further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative and cultural industries and will cover a range of wider arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama, dance and the wider performing arts. The department does not intend to produce detailed plans in other arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
With the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education, the department’s priorities have been to focus on education recovery in the recent Spending Review. The government remains committed to the ambitions for a Cultural Education Plan and will give consideration to the future of the Arts Premium in due course.
The department does not collect information on spending in arts education at independent schools. The department does publish information on entries in arts qualifications at Key Stage 4 by type of school, including in GCSEs. In the 2021/22 academic year, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils taking at least one arts qualification in state-funded schools was 52.4%, while the equivalent proportion for independent schools was 42.3%.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the introduction of (1) Music Education Hubs, and (2) the National Plan for Music Education, whether they have plans to initiate similar schemes for other art forms including (a) drama, and (b) theatre; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department believes in a high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this is cultural education, including teaching music and the wider arts. All state-funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development.
The department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over three years, through our music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The department published the Model Music Curriculum in 2021 and a refreshed National Plan for Music Education in 2022 to support teachers in delivering high-quality music education. The National Plan for Music Education was jointly published by the department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2022, and sets out a vision for music education to 2030, to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
The department will also publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year and other panel members will be announced in due course.
The plan will further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative and cultural industries and will cover a range of wider arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama, dance and the wider performing arts. The department does not intend to produce detailed plans in other arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
With the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education, the department’s priorities have been to focus on education recovery in the recent Spending Review. The government remains committed to the ambitions for a Cultural Education Plan and will give consideration to the future of the Arts Premium in due course.
The department does not collect information on spending in arts education at independent schools. The department does publish information on entries in arts qualifications at Key Stage 4 by type of school, including in GCSEs. In the 2021/22 academic year, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils taking at least one arts qualification in state-funded schools was 52.4%, while the equivalent proportion for independent schools was 42.3%.
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with their Cultural Education Plan, as outlined in their Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child white paper, published in March 2022; when the expert advisory panel for that plan will meet; and when the report will be published.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department believes in a high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this is cultural education, including teaching music and the wider arts. All state-funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development.
The department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over three years, through our music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The department published the Model Music Curriculum in 2021 and a refreshed National Plan for Music Education in 2022 to support teachers in delivering high-quality music education. The National Plan for Music Education was jointly published by the department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June 2022, and sets out a vision for music education to 2030, to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
The department will also publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year and other panel members will be announced in due course.
The plan will further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative and cultural industries and will cover a range of wider arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama, dance and the wider performing arts. The department does not intend to produce detailed plans in other arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
With the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s education, the department’s priorities have been to focus on education recovery in the recent Spending Review. The government remains committed to the ambitions for a Cultural Education Plan and will give consideration to the future of the Arts Premium in due course.
The department does not collect information on spending in arts education at independent schools. The department does publish information on entries in arts qualifications at Key Stage 4 by type of school, including in GCSEs. In the 2021/22 academic year, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils taking at least one arts qualification in state-funded schools was 52.4%, while the equivalent proportion for independent schools was 42.3%.