Consultation Response Form

Consultation closing date: 16 April 2013Your comments must reach us by that date.

Reform of the National Curriculum in England

Consultation Response Form

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Arts Council England – non-departmental public body

Are you answering this consultation in response to particular subjects? Please tick all those that apply.

 X English mathematics science

X art & design citizenship computing

X design & technology geography X history

languages X music physical education

Not applicable

1 Do you have any comments on the proposed aims for the National Curriculum as a whole as set out in the framework document?

Comments:The proposed National Curriculum states that it aspires to ‘free up’ teachers to deliver the

programmes of study in an engaging way and to be able to adapt them to their pupils in order

to provide the best education possible. Fewer instructions and less detail are not inherently

positive or negative. The degree of success will depend upon how they are interpreted. The

Arts Council believes that the probability of them being interpreted positively will be increased

by addressing the following issues:

There is currently insufficient reference made to digital and its relevance to all subjects

throughout all Key Stages.

The proposed programmes of study fail to pay adequate attention to opportunities for

cross-curricula learning, specifically the opportunities to involve the arts. This should be

referenced within the Programme of Study, and examples provided in accompanying

guidance. Greater reference in the national curriculum to the extensive opportunities for

this– for example between Drama and English, History and Music – and instances of

best practice presented in accompanying guidance would help teachers to take a more

holistic view of their school’s teaching of the national curriculum and how cross-curricula

learning can be incorporated into their teaching, for example a thematic approach

linking History, Art and Music where units of work cover the same period in history. This

would lead to a broader, richer experience for pupils and develop a broad and balanced

school curriculum.

Adequate investment in teacher training (Continuing Professional Development),

resources for schools and teachers, and active Government encouragement and

support of partnerships between schools and, (for example,) arts and cultural

organisations to deliver the most engaging curriculum possible.

2 Do you agree that instead of detailed subject-level aims we should free teachers to shape their own curriculum aims based on the content in the programmes of study?

Agree Disagree X Not sure

Comments:The Arts Council is supportive of the aspiration to free teachers to shape their own curriculum

aims based on reduced content of programmes of study. However, there needs to be a

demonstrative acknowledgement that reducing the content of programmes of study by itself will

not achieve this aspiration. Appropriately trained and experienced teachers that have the time

to plan and assess their courses properly are essential. It would be careless to assume that a

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme will materialise because the content

of programmes of study have been slimmed down, and the Government needs to set out how it

will support practitioners and teachers to work, plan and deliver together. Many Music

education hubs are already offering CPD to school staff and supporting schools to deliver

music in the curriculum. and wWith adequate resources this could be one mechanism to help

support teachers with their understanding and delivery of the new curriculum. Clearly, this

cannot act as a replacement for ITT or PGCE resources. It offers additional value to the

provision of well-resourced CPD. The support of headteachers and parents is also crucial (see

response to Q12), and adequate efforts must be undertaken to secure this support.

If appropriate attention and action is given to the challenges involved in the proposals put

forward by the Government, then the aspiration to grant teachers more freedom stands a better

chance of being realised. The Arts Council believes that teachers could be encouraged to, and

supported in, developing high quality partnerships with local cultural organisations and

professionals. The impact of experiencing and engaging first hand with high quality

performances at some of our best theatres, or interaction with some of our inspirational national

acquisitions can bring a subject to life. For example, there is strong empirical evidence that

museum visits and first-hand contact with objects and primary evidence is highly beneficial as

an educational tool.

The Arts Council believes that museum and wider cultural visits and the use of museum

resources are a key element of teaching the history curriculum, and with adequate support and

guidance, teachers would be able to tailor their lessons to capitalise on this. However, this will

not happen automatically: time and resources must be invested by Government and schools in

ensuring the potential of these proposals are realised.

A stronger relationship between schools, local cultural organisations and arts professionals can

provide opportunities for all pupils to be inspired about careers in the creative industries from

an early age. The Arts Council has invested in a number of ‘Bridge Organisations’

organisations that are tasked with bringing the education and cultural sectors together to make

it easier for schools to develop high quality partnerships. Bridge Organisations organisations

should be referenced in the accompanying guidance to the National Curriculum as a helpful

resource for teachers. Further investment by the Government in Teaching schools Schools

would ensure that they play a key role in working with Bridge organisations and their strategic

and partners to develop curriculum support networks that identify and deliver on teachers CPD

requirements and lead to the necessary sharing of expertise and best practice. Teaching

schools will need additional funding to perform this role. There is already collaboration

underway between Tteaching schools Schools and Bridge organisations, and with adequate

Government investment this work can be developed further.

3 Do you have any comments on the content set out in the draft programmes of study? 

Comments:Art and DesignThe Arts Council believes there is insufficient reference to the research and design process

within the Art and Design programme of study. There is very limited mention of the generation

of ideas, experimentation, analysis, synthesis and presentation. We note that the Design and

Technology programme of study mentions the design process in more sufficient depth.

The Arts Council believes that the draft programme of study for Art and Design fails to

place sufficient emphasis on all forms of creative expression; including the fourth

dimension of film and animation, and that this should be amended.

There should be prominent reference made to the importance of digital to Art and

Design throughout all Key Stages, and the role of tablet computers and smartphones as

tools for artistic expression and creativity.

The list of materials that pupils should be taught to work with should be amended to

‘malleable and non-malleable materials’ rather than just ‘clay’.

The Arts Council believes that in Key Stage 2 pupils should be taught about important

contemporary artists, architects and designers. The Design & and Technology

programme of study references knowledge of good design; the same reference could

be made for arts and an appreciation of high quality art and design.

Design and TechnologyWhile acknowledging that Design and Technology covers an extensive range of topics, there

would appear to be insufficient detail to encourage the development of skills in specific areas.

This poses the danger of compromising the Government’s aspiration of ensuring sufficient

depth as well as breadth in subjects. It is questionable whether the current programme of study

reflects a rigorous and high quality course. The Arts Council believes that digital should be

given sufficient prominence in the national curriculum and its relevance to all subjects should

be highlighted. This is currently not the case in the programme of study for Design and

Technology. More emphasis should be placed on contemporary artists and designers that will

excite and inspire pupils.

EnglishThe Arts Council believes that while drama and performance are mentioned in the currently

proposals, more explicit reference should be made to them.

More explicit reference should be made in the National Curriculum programme of study

to how literature can support a child’s understanding of other cultures.

The National Curriculum programme of study should acknowledge that it is important

that children have access to contemporary literature written in a wide range of genres,

styles and voices, including those produced in digital formats.

It is important that children have access to writers inside and outside the classroom.

This supports the generation of ideas, enriches and refines vocabulary, characterisation

and editing.

A sentence in the proposed ‘purpose of study’ text should be amended to: ‘Literature,

especially, plays a key role in such development and drama gives the opportunity for

the development of confident oral communication skills.’

On page 18 of the Consultation framework document, the text under the heading:

Reading (comprehension), should be amended to:

Pupils should be taught to: ‘listen to and discuss a wide range of poems, stories, plays and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read

independently.’

The composition sections of the programmes of study are very focussed on the process of

writing, i.e. planning, drafting, checking. etc. There is insufficient reference to how to encourage

and support the creative process of composing. Different writing forms lend themselves well to

different kinds of expression: it is too restrictive to focus on narrative and functional writing.

Explicit mention should be made of other writing based activities to broaden the curriculum, for

example script writing, poetry, blogging or composing song lyrics. These different forms are

important to experiment with in terms of developing a sense of how to use language

appropriately for the best effect.

HistoryIn an increasingly globalised world, the proposed programme of study appears excessively

insular and fails to take sufficient account of world history and the history of major civilisations

that play an important part in the modern world, notably China, India and Africa.

The proposed programme of study for History appears to be problematic in terms of

understood learning styles. It currently asks young children to come to terms with complex

early history, but provides no opportunity to work with more recent history which may be easier

for them to conceptualise and empathise with. The programme also means children only

consider periods once. This provides no opportunity for pupils to consider them under different

circumstances and with more developed skills. As the new history curriculum is currently

envisaged, younger children will miss out on the rich resources available in museums to teach

19th and 20th century history. At this age, children benefit from such experiences and regional

English museums are particularly strong in this area. Much has been invested in building deep

engaging experiences for children at museums. A more flexible approach less tied to a tight

chronology would allow children to still benefit from these resources.

The success or failure of the Government’s aspiration to ‘free-up’ teachers will depend on how

teaches are supported to make the most of an opportunity to tailor their approach to their

pupils. One key element of this for history will be the role of museums. Many museums across

the country have invested time and resources over a long period of time in servicing schools at

different Key Stages based on the strength of their collections (e.g. Egyptian, Roman, First

Word War etc). Adequate investment and support will be required to support museums offer

the best service possible that is compatible with any changes to the National Curriculum in

History.

MusicThe National Curriculum in Music should demonstrate a clear relationship with the Henley

Review of Music Education and the publication of the National Plan for Music Education

(NPME). For example, the NPME devotes an entire Annex to the value of music technology for

the purposes of listening, sharing, and creating music in the classroom, to enable access, and

for the purposes of teacher support and CPD. The proposed National Curriculum makes no

mention of music technology. This should be amended.

Similarly, the NPME emphasises the value of music education for enjoyment and enrichment.

The proposed National Curriculum emphasises only academic or technical progression. There

is no reference made to the wider benefits of singing in a social context within a school, for

example helping bring communities together through shared use of songs, or understanding

different songs from different countries.

The Arts Council recommends replacing the word ‘Great’ [Composers] with ‘significant’.

In the programme of study for Key Stage 1, the Arts Council recommends replacing the

obsolete phrase ‘speaking chants’ with the more relevant ’rhythmic speaking’.

The NPME stresses the need to offer a range of music experiences. In the proposed

National Curriculum, while there is limited mention of ‘other cultures and genres’ at all

key stages, the language used is singularly appropriate to the study of music from a

Western Classical tradition. This could lead to a mono-cultural interpretation of the

programme of study that denies pupils the opportunity to learn about and experience

the rich diversity of music from other cultures.

Funding of CPD for music teachers is vital to help make links between young people’s

experience of music out of school, through digital media and using music software, to

activity in the classroom and in playing live instruments and singing.

The programme of study should be amended to reflect the new opportunities to create

music digitally, including for young people with Special Educational Needs and

disabilities.

The success or failure of the Government’s aspiration to ‘free-up’ teachers will depend on how

teaches are supported to make the most of an opportunity to tailor their approach to their

pupils. Adequate investment in resources, guidance and partnerships between schools,

teachers and organisations well placed to offer additional value to lessons is required. Pupils

should be offered the opportunities to listen to as much music as possible live. This could be

supported by Music education hubs which are fulfilling the extension role of providing access to

high quality music experiences for pupils, working with professional musicians and venues.

Music Education Hubs should be considered as one of a number of sources of support and

should be strongly emphasised in the accompanying guidance to the National Curriculum.

However, for them to be effective requires adequate levels of investment from Government.

PE

Arts Council welcomes the position of dance in the Physical Education (PE) Programme of

Study and that most activities could be delivered through dance at all key stages, provided that

teachers interpret the criteria broadly. This latter point is crucial. Teachers should take into

account the artistic nature of dance, and not just teach it as a physical activity. Allowance

should be made for interaction with drama, art and music to encourage creative learning and

response in the broadest sense, reflecting professional practice which is usually

interdisciplinary.

This is an issue that can be addressed through the accompanying guidance to the National

Curriculum. This guidance could also highlight how (for example) Arts Council-funded dance

agencies can support teachers to develop dance strategies and support pupils with learning

dance techniques and progression routes. Pupils should be offered the opportunities to watch

as much dance as possible live.  Information about how to access performances could be

supported by dance agencies which provide access to high quality dance experiences for

children and young people and families, working with professional dancers and choreographers

and venues.

Dance should be eligible for some of the £150m that the Government recently

announced for sport in primary schools in England.

4 Does the content set out in the draft programmes of study represent a sufficiently ambitious level of challenge for pupils at each key stage? 

Sufficiently ambitious X Not sufficiently ambitious Not sure

Comments:Art and DesignThe Arts Council believes that the national curriculum for Art and Design should be more

explicit and ambitious in its aims.

More explicit reference should be made to the creative process: research, ideas generation,

experimentation, analysis, synthesis, and presentation.

The importance of digital and the aims of this subject to equip pupils with adequate skills in this

field should also be stated more clearly.

We suggest a greater emphasis on digital as a medium from KS1 onwards

Young people are digitally literate from a very early age and should embrace this in the

development of their art and design skills. Technology is not a replacement for drawing and

visualisation but an extension.

The National Curriculum’s aims for art and design should ensure that all pupils can express

their feelings confidently through a range of creative visual media and techniques using the

language of art, craft, and design, to aid visual literacy.

English Drama, storytelling, performance and role play should be cited alongside presentation

and debate as part of the arts of speaking and listening

The Arts Councils believes that the National Curriculum in English should make explicit

reference to ensuring all pupils write: clearly, accurately, coherently and creatively. Pupils

should be able to use role play, acting and drama as well as discussion to express their ideas,

and this should be made explicit in the programme of study.

The Arts Council believes that while the emphasis on grammar, handwriting and phonetics is

important, these elements must not dominate the English programme of study to the exclusion

of other important aspects. The curriculum should enable pupils to use their imaginations,

develop their skills to write in a range of contexts using different forms, styles and to be able to

‘play’ with language creatively to develop their writing skills. The proposed programme of study

for English does not place sufficient emphasis on creativity.

HistoryThe Arts Council believes that the proposed National Curriculum for History places too much

emphasis on facts and knowledge, to the detriment of the development of skills and allowing

time for in-depth consideration. There is a danger that the teaching of history will become too

dominated by lists of facts, and lose the important focus on developing skills such as

researching and analysing material, and presenting arguments.

Music The Department for Education publication, The Importance of Music, concludes that

identifying and promoting progression pathways is important at Key Stage 2 and

recommends that accreditation routes such as Arts Award or instrumental/vocal

examinations are available. These should be explicitly referenced in the paragraph

below the headings ‘Key Stage 2’ and ‘Key Stage 3’.

The Arts Council believes that in the subject content for Music, a greater emphasis

should be placed on musical appraisal, particularly at Key Stages 1 and 2. This

amendment would reflect an appropriate level of ambition that is currently lacking.

Key Stage 1 should make reference to performance and composition. Developing skills

in composition - including improvisation - is important: composition offers an opportunity

for pupils to build on their learning of the seven dimensions of music and utilise their

singing and musical instrument skills.

Key Stage 3 should retain reference to improvisation as part of the further development

of composition skills.

Key Stage 3 should include the aim of ensuring pupils learn about the role of music and

musicians in society and understand how music reflects trends, cultural diversity and

has a global dimension.

5 Do you have any comments on the proposed wording of the attainment targets?

Comments:The Arts Council is concerned that a combination of (a) an extremely limited articulation of

attainment targets and (b) a potential lack of adequate investment in supporting teachers to

deliver the proposed National Curriculum, could encourage instances of the programmes of

study being interpreted in a narrow manner. There is insufficient articulation of what an

excellent and robust education in each subject would look like and the resources that are

required to support this. Adequate support for teachers and investment in the guidance and

resources that teachers can draw on to deliver the proposed National Curriculum is essential.

The current wording of attainment targets provides insufficient detail. If the system of levelling

is to be withdrawn, an alternative robust system needs to be put in place to enable teachers to

assess the attainment of pupils against a national standard and to know what outstanding

achievement looks like within a specific subject area. This is needed to ensure that suitable

rigour, challenge and continuity is reflected in subsequent target setting and plans for

progression.

6 Do you agree that the draft programmes of study provide for effective progression between the key stages?

Agree X Disagree Not sure

Comments:It is important that Key Stage Level 1, 2 and 3 programmes of study have been created with

adequate consideration to what will be demanded of pupils by the new more challenging

qualifications that are set to be introduced at Key Stage Level 4. The Arts Council is concerned

that the proposed programmes of study at Key Stage Level 1, 2 and 3 may not be challenging

enough if taught in a narrow way, and may put some pupils at a disadvantage when

progressing to the new Key Stage Level 4 qualifications that are to be introduced.

Art and DesignThere appears to be no reference made in Key Stage Level 2 Art and Design to ‘ideas,

experiences and imagination’. These are key aspects of creativity and must be appropriately

emphasised at this Key Stage in order to provide effective progression between Key Stages 1

and 3 (which both refer to ‘ideas’), and in preparation for more rigorous Key Stage 4

qualifications.

The Arts Council is concerned that digital media is only referenced in Art and Design at Key

Stage Level 3. Pupils must have the opportunity to engage with digital media as early as

possible. Many primary schools are already using tablet computers in visual arts, and the use

of software programmes to develop composition skills in music is already widespread.

HistoryThe teaching of history as a chronology aligned to the different Key Stage levels may appear

simple and straightforward, but appears to fail to acknowledge the challenges involved in terms

of learning styles and how children develop their skills and knowledge through time. For

example, the proposed National Curriculum means that early history – by dint of it being early -

can only be taught in a way that suits young children. Similarly modern history can only be

taught in a way that suits older children. It appears arbitrary that a child leaving primary school

will have no understanding of post-1688 history, and that a child at secondary school will not be

offered the chance to learn about pre-1688 history (particularly as they develop their skills in

research and the analysis of material).

7 Do you agree that we should change the subject information and communication technology to computing, to reflect the content of the new programmes of study?

X Agree Disagree Not sure

Comments:The Arts Council fully supports and welcomes the new programmes of study for Computing. As

the Livingstone/Hope Next Gen report argued, the fusion of art and technology skills are

essential for the future of all of the UK’s creative and digital industries. The Arts Council is fully

supportive of the report’s view that the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and art

are crucial to the future success of the UK’s fast-growing creative and digital industries, and in

fact, provides pupils with a diverse range of skills and knowledge that prepares them for

careers outside (as well as within) the creative industries.

8 Does the new National Curriculum embody an expectation of higher standards for all children?

Yes No X Not sure

Comments:The proposed National Curriculum states that it aspires to ‘free up’ teachers to deliver the

programmes of study in an engaging way and be able to adapt them to their pupils in order to

provide the best education possible. Less instructions and less detail are not inherently positive

or negative. Success will depend upon how they are interpreted. The chances of them being

interpreted positively will be increased with adequate guidance and resources being made

available to teachers and schools, and active Government encouragement and support of

partnerships between schools and (for example) arts and cultural organisations to deliver the

most engaging curriculum possible.

For example, the proposed programme of study for History appears to cover a vast amount of

knowledge. Teachers may interpret this in a way that leads to an excessive focus on

memorising key dates and facts at the expense of the development of the transferable skills

associated with the humanities. However given the right support and guidance, teachers can

develop lesson plans tailored to their pupils, involving the resources and outreach programmes

of high quality local museums for example. This depends on adequate investment in teacher

training and the partnerships between arts and cultural organisation and schools. The Arts

Council already funds the Bridge organisation network that is focussed on developing these

partnerships further. The relationship between libraries and Bridges is also key here and the

Bridges’ are expanding their remit to recognise libraries as part of the wider cultural sector,

introducing the Arts Award to them, for example.

9 What impact - either positive or negative - will our proposals have on the 'protected characteristic' groups?

Comments:The Arts Council believes that the ‘Inclusion Statement’ in the consultation framework

document and the proposals in general appear to offer potential for the National Curriculum to

be more effectively tailored to the different needs of pupils. However, there are two issues that

must be addressed in order to increase the probability that the impact of the proposals is

positive:

Teachers and schools must be provided with adequate resources to be able to assess

and meet the specific needs of all pupils, as is their duty under Equality legislation.

While the teaching of subjects (the means) should be tailored to pupils, expectations of

performance (the ends) should not. Expectations for achievement must be universal.

The Arts Council has highlighted the lack of reference to creating music digitally in the Music

programme of study (which would benefit pupils with Special Educational Needs). It is

important that ‘tailoring’ teaching to the needs of all pupils genuinely means creating an

inclusive environment for all pupils as far as reasonably possible.

The Arts Council has also suggested under each programme of study where more reference

could be made to a broader international canon of work, or in the case of History, other major

civilisations. This is a clear example of an opportunity for a teacher and a school to tailor their

interpretation of the National Curriculum to their pupils, while retaining universal aspirations for

performance. The Consultation framework document refers to a ‘rich intellectual inheritance’.

This intellectual inheritance should encompass drawing on and reflecting the diversity of

society in contemporary England.

The Arts Council also believes more could be done to reduce the positive correlation between

poverty and poorer educational performance. The Ofsted report The Pupil Premium: How

schools are spending the funding successfully to maximise achievement (2013) raises

concerns over how a significant number of schools are spending their pupil premium. The

provision of details on how each school is spending its pupil premium, and the ability to

compare this to the performance of disadvantaged students at that school, would help schools

and policymakers identify the most effective way of reducing the positive correlation between

poverty and poorer educational performance.

10 To what extent will the new National Curriculum make clear to parents what their children should be learning at each stage of their education? 

Comments:

11 What key factors will affect schools’ ability to implement the new National Curriculum successfully from September 2014?

Comments:The Arts Council believes there would be significant challenges to overcome if the proposed

National Curriculum was implemented. These include an insufficient amount of time for schools

to prepare, inadequate support and investment in teachers and teaching resources and CPD

opportunities.

12 Who is best placed to support schools and/or develop resources that schools will need to teach the new National Curriculum?

Comments:As stressed in the answer to Q2, the Government needs to provide adequate investment in

teacher training and guidance to avoid a narrow interpretation of the proposed programmes of

study. Pupils should experience a broad and balanced curriculum: this includes experiencing

the richness of the arts.

Support to teachers should be in the form of shared knowledge and best practice, potentially

through the establishment of networks between teachers of specific subjects. It is critically

important that adequate resources are invested in initial teacher training and continuing

professional development for teachers. The full potential of the Artsmark network, teaching

school networks and subject associations should be fully exploited for this purpose.

The Arts Council believes that the Department for Education (Dfe) needs to invest in teachers

in order for the proposed reforms to have the best chance of success. Arts Council notes that

the DfE is funding the Network of Excellence in Computer Science, a teacher training network.

This is the kind of investment that needs to be made for all subjects. Awarding Organisations

also have a role to play in ensuring teachers are able to teach the national curriculum

effectively.

With the right support headteachers and schools can explore the potential of arts and cultural

organisations to develop resources and support the teaching of the national curriculum. To

ensure high quality cultural education for all schools, the Arts Council and DfE have funded

Bridge organisations and Teaching Schools to develop a package of resources and continuing

professional development to support the delivery of cultural education and encourage

partnership working between schools and cultural organisations. For a prolonged period of time

English museums have invested in and developed sophisticated support for teaching across all

Key Stages. This comprises museum visits, web resources and outreach services. With

adequate support this can be built on and developed further.

The Arts Council is aware that The Tate and the Royal Shakespeare Company are keen to

support CPD if adequate investment is available. The combination of an enthusiastic

headteacher, a strong relationship between a school and high quality arts and cultural

organisations in its vicinity, and adequate investment in teachers and arts and cultural

organisations, a reduced national curriculum could offer tremendous opportunities. For

example, working with professional theatre companies is an essential element of enriching the

English curriculum. Darren Henley commented on the importance of these connections several

times in his review, ‘The best performing schools bring Cultural Education practitioners into

schools, alongside classroom teachers, to share their knowledge with pupils’. ‘Cultural

organisations and venues offer children and young people the opportunity to visit places of

specific interest, which can deepen their understanding of the world around them and provide

fresh insight into their studies’ (Darren Henley, Cultural Education in England, 2012,

paragraphs 2.4 and 2.6).

In English, pupils should have access to a wide range of books both through access to library

stock but also through meeting writers and the work of literature organisations such as

Booktrust, the Reading Agency and National Literacy Trust. The partnerships between libraries

and schools should be supported to develop further. See 6.4 in Henley Review of Cultural

Education. Links with libraries and the benefits they can bring could be highlighted in the notes

and guidance though programmes such as Summer Reading Challenge (coordinated by The

Reading Agency and run in 97% of libraries) which inspire children to read in the long summer

break when their reading skills can decline without the regular reading activity at school.

Research shows that taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge can contribute towards

preventing the 'summer holiday dip' in reading motivation and attainment.

Libraries have a key role to play in supporting learning in all areas of the curriculum. The

access to books and reading, learning and information resources – online and physical - and

activities in libraries supports all curriculum subjects, not just English. Libraries support out of

school learning and creativity through Homework Clubs, Reading Groups, study-space and

holiday activity programmes. Libraries are particularly important for children and young people

who do not have access to books and/or the internet at home. School libraries and school

library services are equally crucial to supporting the curriculum, and there are exciting

examples of school libraries co-locating with public libraries (such as Pimlico Academy).

13 Do you agree that we should amend the legislation to disapply the National Curriculum programmes of study, attainment targets and statutory assessment arrangements, as set out in section 12 of the consultation document?

Agree Disagree Not sure

Comments:

14 Do you have any other comments you would like to make about the proposals in this consultation?

Comments:The Arts Council recognises that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to review and improve

opportunities for young people; to improve their life chances and ensure their educational

experience prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of life and work. We need to

ensure that rigour and challenge exist across the entire national curriculum and school

curriculum.

It is important to ensure a broad and balanced curriculum for young people that equips them

with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the future. That means looking forwards

rather than backwards, reacting to emerging skills gaps and learning from international best

practice. The Arts Council believes that rigorous and robust arts subjects can perfectly

compliment the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and English to equip young

people with a diverse range of skills and knowledge that prepare them for careers outside (as

well as within) the creative and digital industries.

In addition (not as a replacement) to the universal provision of rigorous and robust arts

subjects, the Arts Council notes that the Henley Review made reference to the softer skills and

opportunities for personal development offered by cultural education. The Arts Council believes

that Artsmark is a useful indicator of whether a school is providing these opportunities to a

certain standard.

The Arts Council looks forward to working with Government and other stakeholders in

supporting schools and arts and cultural organisations to further develop programmes of study

and guidance.

15 Please let us have your views on responding to this consultation (e.g. the number and type of questions, whether it was easy to find, understand, complete etc.)

Comments:

Thank you for taking the time to let us have your views. We do not intend to acknowledge individual responses unless you place an 'X' in the box below.

Please acknowledge this reply

E-mail address for acknowledgement:

Here at the Department for Education we carry out our research on many different topics and consultations. As your views are valuable to us, would it be alright if we were to contact you again from time to time either for research or to send through consultation documents?

XYes No

All DfE public consultations are required to meet the Cabinet Office Principles on Consultation

The key Consultation Principles are:

departments will follow a range of timescales rather than defaulting to a 12-week period, particularly where extensive engagement has occurred before

departments will need to give more thought to how they engage with and consult with those who are affected

consultation should be ‘digital by default', but other forms should be used where these are needed to reach the groups affected by a policy; and

the principles of the Compact between government and the voluntary and community sector will continue to be respected.

Responses should be completed on-line or emailed to the relevant consultation email box. However, if you have any comments on how DfE consultations are conducted, please contact Carole Edge, DfE Consultation Coordinator, tel: 0370 000 2288 / email: carole.edge@education.gsi.gov.uk

Thank you for taking time to respond to this consultation.

Completed questionnaires and other responses should be sent to the address shown below by 16 April 2013

Send by post to:

Consultation Unit, Area 1c, Castle View House, East Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2GJ.

Send by e-mail to: NationalCurriculum.CONSULTATION@education.gsi.gov.uk