One in four pupils admits that they would feel embarrassed to talk about the arts or being creative with their teachers, while more than half have never visited an art gallery, a poll of 2,387 11- to 16-year-olds has revealed.

However, some two-thirds of those surveyed said they were allowed to be creative at school, while 41 per cent said they had discussions at school about getting a job in the creative industries.

The findings were published today by the Tate galleries and Creative Partnerships to coincide with the launch of their “Manifesto for a Creative Britain”, based on a consultation with secondary pupils.