Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has set national targets for increasing musical (a) proficiency and (b) engagement.

Music is a statutory subject from ages 5 to 14 in the National Curriculum, and pupils have an entitlement to study at least one arts subject at Key Stage 4 in maintained schools. Although only maintained schools are required to teach the National Curriculum, academies are expected to teach a curriculum that is similar in breadth and ambition.

The Department has no plans to set national targets on musical proficiency and engagement. Schools have the autonomy to decide how best to teach music, setting expectations on good musical progression as part of their music curriculum, working with their local music hub as needed.

The Department has set out national expectations on high quality music education. This is reflected in the 2022 ‘national plan for music education’, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/music-education-information-for-parents-and-young-people/what-the-national-plan-for-music-education-means-for-children-and-young-people. National expectations are also reflected in the non-statutory ‘Model Music Curriculum’ 2021 guidance for schools. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-music-in-schools. The Department has also committed to continue funding a range of music education programmes, including the national music hubs network and the Music and Dance Scheme.

The national plan for music education also sets out expectations from September 2023 for schools. It outlines that:

• Schools should provide timetabled curriculum music of at least one hour each week of the school year for Key Stages 1-3, as well as co-curricular opportunities to learn instruments and sing, and to play and sing together in ensembles and choirs.

• Music should be represented in every school’s leadership structure, with a designated music lead or head of department at school and/or academy trust level, for primary and secondary phases.

• In partnership with their music hub, every school should have a music development plan which sets out how it will be staffed and funded. The Department also wants to see every multi-academy trust develop music development plans for all of their schools.

The Department’s national network of music hubs will continue to provide support to schools in England, supported by £79 million per annum funding for the music hubs programme up to 2025, and £25 million capital for new instruments.