Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of removing the initial teacher training bursary for music on access to the teaching profession for candidates from lower-income backgrounds.

​​Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. The department reviews the bursaries annually to take account of ITT recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. The bursaries we offer also take account of the high earning potential of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. Whether a bursary is offered or not, student trainee teachers can access a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and additional support dependent on their circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

​Between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for music increased by 53%, one of the largest increases for any subject. Acceptances for ITT courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year indicate a further improvement. At the same time, demand for music trainee teachers has fallen due to this higher ITT recruitment and more favourable teacher retention forecasts. As a result, the postgraduate ITT target in music reduced by 31% for courses starting in 2025/26.

​As part of our Opportunity Mission, we want high quality music and arts education for every child in all state-funded schools. This is why we announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education to deliver excellent continuing professional development for teachers in all the arts subjects, including music. The Curriculum and Assessment Review final report is also considering all the arts subjects, and final report and government response will be published shortly.