The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future

New ‘Arts in Schools’ report calls for creative subjects to be central to a rethink of England’s state education system

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and A New Direction are proud to publish 'The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future', calling on policymakers to ascribe greater value to the role of the arts as part of a rethink of the state education sector.

The report reflects on policy developments over the four decades since ‘The Arts in Schools: Principles, practice and provision’, the influential 1982 Gulbenkian report, which helped secure the arts’ place in the National Curriculum and contributed to a new ecosystem of education teams in cultural organisations.

Based on research, including a series of roundtable discussions with the heads of schools and multi-academy trusts, teachers, academics, arts educators and young people, the report finds that the arts are vital for young people’s intellectual and personal development, but are marginalised in today’s school system, which itself requires a major overhaul.

  • More about the report...

    Funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and with support from the network of former Bridge organisations, the roundtables, case studies and report have been facilitated by A New Direction, London’s leading not-for-profit organisation generating opportunities for children and young people to develop their creativity.

    The report’s findings was presented online to an invited audience of arts and education leaders on 30 March 2023. Speakers included: Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching; David Bryan CBE, Founder & Director of Xtend (UK) Ltd and Chair of Art Council England’s London Area Council; and Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, who called the report “utterly comprehensive, authoritative, bleak, but also agenda-setting”.

View the report

The report’s authors and partners are calling on...

Policy makers to reconsider the status of arts in schools as part of a major re-evaluation of the English education system.

Schools to embrace the arts, and to value their unique contribution to children and young people’s education, development and well-being.

Arts organisations to ensure their resources can be made easily available and relevant to schools (including online), and responsive to their needs, including by opening up opportunities through work experiences, apprenticeships and paid internships.

From the launch

Authors

Pauline Tambling, Co-author, The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future

Sally Bacon, Co-author, The Arts in Schools: Foundation for the Future

Speakers

Abi Ali, Member, The Arts in Schools, Young People’s Group

Geoff Barton, General Secretary, ASCL, and Arts in Schools Roundtable Chair

Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive, The Chartered College of Teaching, and Arts in Schools Roundtable Chair

David Bryan, Founder Xtend, Chair of Brixton House, and Arts Council England, London region

Author quotes

  • Pauline Tambling CBE, formerly CEO of Creative & Cultural Skills

    “The problems identified in this report highlight particular issues for the arts in schools, but they form part of a bigger picture of an education system in need of a rethink. Much like previous moments of major change in schools policy, such as the Education Act of 1944 and the introduction of the National Curriculum in the 1980s, the country is navigating ongoing and serious challenges. We believe that the time has come for a new public conversation about education in England, one which explores the purpose of schooling in today’s world and examines the relevance and value of all subjects, including the arts”.

  • Sally Bacon OBE, formerly Director of the Clore Duffield Foundation

    “Despite all we know about the value of the arts for children and young people, there is a lack of value ascribed to these subjects, access to which can no longer be assumed in the compulsory education sector. A coherent and comprehensive rationale for what schools teach has been largely replaced with narrow accountability measures, which in turn marginalise the arts in every aspect of the system, from initial teacher training to inspection and league tables. This damaging situation is peculiar to England, with a more arts-rich and inclusive approach evident in both Wales and Scotland, as well in the independent sector, where it leads a two-tier system in which many young people are excluded from participation in the arts”.

Download the report

The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future (Full Report)

Executive Summary

The Arts in Schools - Timeline

Arts in Schools Presentation for your use

Call to action

In order to create the changes that the report calls for, we need to inspire action from the breadth and depth of the education and arts sectors.

Education sector - Please share the report and its ten recommendations (an executive summary is available) with colleagues, school and MAT leaders, governors and other contacts, and on social media (download our social media pack and sharable assets).

Arts organisations - For arts organisations with learning teams please share the report with the CEO, artistic director and senior leadership team, and with the board and its chair. We know that when learning has a place at senior management and board level it is more embedded within the organisation.

Parents / Carers - For parents with children in school please consider sending the report or executive summary to the chair of governors, the headteacher and, if relevant, the trust leadership.

There is a downloadable presentation that you can download as a PDF and use.

You might also like to email your MP with a link to the Executive Summary.

Share on social media

Download the social pack and sharable assets

#ArtsInSchools
#ArtsInSchoolsReport

Responses

We will be collecting responses to the report with a view to building a campaign as wider policy discussions ramp up later this year.

Email us at info@anewdirection.org.uk

For more...

Young people respond to The Arts in Schools

13 young people from across England share their thoughts on the original Arts in Schools report, their experience of education, and what the future holds for the arts in schools

Arts in schools roundtable blog series

Stay in the loop with news and updates from our community

Arts in Schools Case Studies

Inspiring learning: 24 case studies highlighting the value of the arts in schools and beyond

FAQs - The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future