I am writing to inform you that the government announced The Power of Music to Change Lives: A National Plan for Music Education yesterday morning. This is a joint Department for Education and Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport strategy, which builds on the work of the previous Plan published in 2011.
The Plan was developed with the expert guidance of the expert advisory panel. Our panel included David Stanley BEM, the government’s Arts and Culture Disability and Access Ambassador, plus leaders across the music education sector and wider music industry. We have also built on the contributions of thousands of young people, parents, and others in our Call for Evidence consultation in 2020. Our Call for Evidence report highlight the need for music to be more inclusive, in particular for pupils with SEND and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the power of new technology to improve access.
Our vision is to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally. The plan is also clear that music education should be fully inclusive, so that all music educators:
- commit to achieving greater access and more opportunity, and identifying and removing barriers
- take action to support increasing access, opportunity, participation, and progression of groups that are currently under-represented in music
- support understanding of inclusive music education and skills development among music teachers and others.
As part of the Plan, the Government is announcing new investment of £25 million capital funding from Autumn 2023, to purchase of musical instruments and technology, including adaptive instruments and equipment that helps children and young people with disabilities make music. We also want to establish a new centre for excellence focussed on inclusion in 2024, with additional funding to be announced later. We also expect every Music Hub in the country to have an Inclusion Strategy and appoint an Inclusion lead by 2024. I provide a more detailed summary at the end of this email.
You may also be interested the case studies and resources published with the plan (this includes posters promoting music education for young people).
If you think the plan is of interest to your members or networks, do feel free to publicise via your social media and other channels.
In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions about the plan, do let us know.
With best wishes,
Stefano
Stefano Pozzi
Assistant Director, EBacc and Arts Unit – humanities and arts lead
Curriculum and General Qualifications Directorate, DfE
Summary of The National Plan for Music Education
We want to see music valued and celebrated in every early years setting and school. Schools should deliver high-quality curriculum music for at least one hour a week in key stages 1-3, supported by co-curricular learning, and musical experiences. This will take time to realise and Music Hubs will be a vital support. Introducing new functions, we want every Hub to build a sustainable local ‘eco-system’ for music education, through partnerships, with progression, access and inclusion central to their work.
The Plan sets out how to build on the Model Music Curriculum and achieve our vision:
- 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, we would like every school to have a Music Development Plan that captures the curricular and co-curricular offer and sets out how it will be staffed and funded. We want to see multi-academy trusts developing trust-wide Music Development Plans, too
- In addition to the existing relationship they have with all local schools, all Music Hubs will identify and partner with a small number of Lead Schools (including academies) with high-quality music provision to work with the Hub on design and delivery of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and peer-to-peer support for schools on music in their area by Spring 2024
- We will establish national Music Hub centres of excellence for Inclusion, CPD, Music Technology and Pathways to Industry. The centres will be appointed by Autumn 2024 and based in four Music Hubs, providing specialist support to all Music Hubs across England.
- We will pilot a Music Progression Fund to support disadvantaged pupils with significant musical potential, enthusiasm and commitment. It will be delivered through schools and Music Hubs from September 2023, with match-funded Government investment over four years
- All Music Hubs should develop and publish an Inclusion Strategy and all Music Hub Lead Organisations should have an Inclusion Lead by 2024.
This refreshed NPME, realised through dynamic partnerships across the country, will ensure all pupils receive a high-quality music education, strengthen the creative pipeline and help create the musicians and audiences of the future.