TO BE PUBLISHED February 2027
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This conference will consider priorities for arts and music education in England. Discussion will examine subject availability in schools, curriculum design and student enrichment, workforce capacity and resource constraints, and the accessibility of creative pathways for young adults progressing into further education, training or employment.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss approaches for strengthening arts and music education across schools and colleges in the context of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the National Youth Strategy, Turn It Up: Our plan for music and the development of the National Centre for Arts and Music Education, and the forthcoming consultation on curriculum reform. Attendees will explore approaches to addressing concerns identified in the Review, including declining student participation in creative subjects at Key Stage 4 and post-16, limitations on the allocation of curriculum time, and the capacity of schools to sustain and expand arts and music provision within resource constraints.
The agenda will also consider potential implications of the removal of the EBacc accountability measure for curriculum breadth, subject availability, and take-up of arts and music at Key Stage 4. Delegates will discuss the impact on equitable access to music and arts education across schools, trusts and regions, as well as what changes to accountability might mean for levels of participation, and whether additional levers relating to funding, guidance or implementation support could be required to support sustained change.
Further sessions will examine the role of the Enrichment Framework and the National Centre for Arts and Music Education in supporting access to arts and music education and the contribution of extra-curricular provision in fostering pupils’ personal development and wider education outcomes. Progression routes into further, higher and technical education and employment will be considered, following the Government’s post-16 qualification reforms and Creative Industries Sector Plan. Discussion will explore the potential implications of planned T Levels in creative and design from 2029 and V Levels in creative subjects from 2030, options for improving access to work experience through the Youth Guarantee, and approaches to strengthening cultural opportunities for disadvantaged young people through the National Youth Strategy.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- curriculum reform:
- Curriculum and Assessment Review and forthcoming curriculum consultation - removal of the EBacc accountability measure
- the place of creative subjects in curriculum breadth and balance - practical implementation across schools, colleges and regions
- accountability:
- EBacc reform and the updated Ofsted Education Inspection Framework - evidencing creative education
- enrichment, personal development and pupil engagement - school leadership, timetabling and curriculum planning - implementation of the DfE Enrichment Framework
- participation & access:
- factors affecting pupil participation in arts and music qualifications at Key Stage 4
- implications of curriculum reform for subject availability - improving engagement with creative learning
- equitable provision:
- variation in implementation across schools, trusts and regions - provision of specialist teaching, facilities and extracurricular opportunities
- addressing disparities in access to creative subjects - achieving a broad curriculum offer for all pupils
- workforce & capacity:
- supply of specialist arts and music teachers - staff development and training - role of the National Centre for Arts and Music Education
- resourcing for facilities, instruments and equipment - sustaining creative subjects within school timetables
- creative qualifications:
- future design - alignment with technical and academic pathways - preparation for T Levels in creative and design from 2029 and V Levels in creative subjects from 2030
- impacts of qualification and funding reforms on progression
- progression:
- routes from school into further education, higher education and creative employment
- role of work experience and employer engagement in supporting progression - the Youth Guarantee
- priorities in the Creative Industries Sector Plan - contribution of careers guidance in informing learner choices
- National Youth Strategy:
- development of enrichment programmes, Young Futures Hubs and cultural initiatives - implications for creative and cultural participation
- coordination between schools, youth services and cultural organisations - supporting engagement among disadvantaged young people
- collaboration:
- partnerships between schools, colleges and creative industry organisations - engagement between schools and local creative sector organisations
- opportunities for collaborative delivery of creative education and enrichment - addressing regional variation in provision and progression routes
