Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the study of music in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; and if she will make a statement.

The Government recognises the importance of music as an integral part of children’s development, and believes strongly that every child should experience a good quality music education at both primary and secondary school.

We have therefore confirmed the place of music as a statutory subject within the new national curriculum for all children in maintained schools between key stages 1 to 3. The revised programmes of study include an increased focus on learning to play a musical instrument and singing, pupils learning to read and write notation, the historical development of music, and the work of great composers.

Music also remains within the arts entitlement area within the national curriculum at key stage 4. Maintained schools must provide access to at least one course in each entitlement area. The total number of music entries in key stage 4 exams has risen by 7% since 2010.

We have committed around £390 million in the years 2012-16 for music education programmes. This includes £246 million for 123 music education hubs which have core roles to ensure every child aged 5-18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through whole-class ensemble teaching, provide opportunities to play in ensembles and to perform from an early stage, ensure clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people, and to develop a singing strategy for their area.

Arts Council England, which manages the hubs on our behalf, introduced a new requirement earlier this year for each hub to set up a School Music Education Plan. These plans must demonstrate how music hubs intend to increase their engagement with the schools in their local area, how they will provide support to schools in their provision of a high-quality music curriculum, and how they will challenge schools to improve where this is needed.