National centre promises to 'revitalise' arts in 'under-served’ schools

The National Centre for Arts and Music will be established by the end of September, according to government contracts released this week.

The online centre will aim to “revitalise” arts education in schools, with particular emphasis on areas currently missing out.

It is set to be run by Etio - an education consultancy and government services provider - and phased in from the end of this month.

The centre was first announced as part of the Francis curriculum and assessment review, which scrapped the English Baccalaureate performance measure to boost uptake in arts subjects.

The focus of the centre will be on “under-served communities” and “meaningful social impact”, according to the latest documents.

Securing ‘equitable access’ to arts education

In a tender document, the government says it will convene a coalition of partners across “arts, culture, education and philanthropy to create the conditions for meaningful social impact”.

Etio has been allocated £29.07 million, including VAT, to lead the centre. It will be supported by Arts Council England, whose role will be to develop relationships across the cultural education sector.

“The centre will be an important partner in revitalising arts education, securing equitable access to high-quality teaching and enrichment opportunities, particularly for children and communities currently least able to access them,” the contract states.

It will also generate and share data and evidence to guide decision making and target support where access to high-quality arts education is most unequal.

The centre will be established with a phased implementation plan, starting from 30 September. The music hubs network will transfer to the centre from 1 September 2027.

Arts-focused CPD

The latest contract lists three priorities for the centre.

Firstly, it will aim to provide “strategic national leadership in revitalising arts in schools, mobilising a coalition of national, regional, and local partners to generate and direct investment to support equitable access to high-quality arts in school, with a focus on under-served communities”.

It will also launch a new online CPD offer for primary and secondary teachers and support to access existing high-quality teacher development provision available elsewhere.

Finally, it will promote arts education to school leaders, teachers, parents and young people.

A Department for Education spokesperson said the centre was being set up because “every child should have access to a rich, high-quality arts education”, which is why it is establishing a new National Centre for Arts Education.

The spokesperson added: “Following a competitive procurement, Etio has been named as our preferred supplier and we intend to award them the contract to establish and lead the Centre.

“We have also asked Arts Council England to support the centre, which will launch later this year. It will provide national leadership in arts education, support teachers with high-quality training and help schools connect children and young people with more arts opportunities - supporting our ambition to revitalise arts education across the country.”