Take action to improve music education in England: Department of Education consultation on Key Stage 4 reforms

The UK Government’s Department of Education has launched an open consultation on Key Stage 4 reforms, on proposals that will impact how Music is offered in schools across England, and we are encouraging our members to respond by 4 May.

The proposals for improvements outlined in this Department of Education (DofE) consultation will have an impact on how music is offered as a GCSE subject for pupils at Key Stage 4. The proposed changes should have a positive impact and encourage the offer and take up of GCSE Music, but there are some further considerations that the DofE is seeking a view on that could make a difference. The consultation is open to all, and relatively straightforward to respond to, and the DofE is actively seeking the views of both professional and amateur music sector as well as those in education. The views of parents, grandparents and carers of young people who have or would like to study music are useful, as are the views of anyone who studied GCSE music at school and could reflect on the lifelong benefits that led from this. Making Music will respond on behalf of our members, but your own voice is also welcome, either as an individual or a representative of your music group.

The section of most relevance is Chapter 1, which seeks views on what the Department of Education proposes to change for Progress 8, a key performance measure for schools. Progress 8 measures how much progress a pupil makes between primary school and the end of their GCSEs, compares this with what would be expected and produces a school-wide measure that helps parents and authorities evaluate a school’s effectiveness. It is based on pupils’ Attainment 8 Scores which measure pupil achievement across eight key subjects. The government is proposing a refresh of the Progress 8 and Attainment 8 measures, with one of the intended outcomes being that more young people are able and encouraged to study Music and other arts subjects as a GCSE.

How might the proposed changes affect the offer of Music in schools?

The DofE’s proposals include “improving Progress 8 and Attainment 8 measures through a refreshed Progress 8 curriculum model that maintains a strong  academic core alongside ensuring breadth and choice for every child.” They are seeking to encourage schools to offer a broad curriculum, particularly one that includes arts subjects, and support young people to progress across a wider range of subjects, including arts.

The refresh removes EBacc entry and attainment as a measure. The Ebacc was introduced in 2010 by the previous government and requires pupils to study a minimum of seven GCSEs, but the options do not include any arts subjects. The 2025 Curriculum and Assessment Review report concluded that EBacc measures 'unnecessarily constrained student choice, affecting students’ engagement and achievement'. The new government proposal is that Progress 8 and Attainment 8 will become the headline school performance measures, together with the percentage of pupils achieving Grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 

The refreshed Progress/Attainment 8 will measure pupils’ performance across 8 qualifications. But unlike the EBacc, two out of the eight qualifications studied can be selected in ‘Breadth’ slots that include arts subjects. Two slots must be filled by GCSEs from two of three categories, one of which is creative – art and design, music, drama, dance, design and technology.