Entries to arts subjects have not dropped as a result of the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), new research from the Department for Education (DfE) suggests. 

There is no evidence that mainstream schools which have increased the number of pupils taking the EBacc have also seen a decline in arts entries, the DfE claims in its response to the EBacc consultation today. 

In fact, schools where EBacc entry has increased “tend to have also seen an increase” in their arts uptake, new evidence suggests. 

Researchers looked at 297 schools that increased their EBacc entry rates by 40 percentage points or more between 2011 and 2016 - and found that this group had not seen any change in the proportion of pupils entering at least one arts subject.

In the EBacc consultation, many respondents argued that the measure “precludes children from studying a broad and balanced curriculum”. 

Responses from members of the Bacc for the Future campaign - which is supported by more than 200 organisations - said there was no room in the curriculum to study other subjects, particularly creative subjects, and there had been a drop in the uptake of arts subjects.

Improving access to the arts

The government has said it will invest heavily in education programmes designed to improve access to the arts for all children - and has argued that new accountability measure Progress 8 will encourage schools to improve teaching across non-EBacc subjects.

But unions and campaign groups are still concerned about the impact that the EBacc has on a broad and balanced curriculum. 

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The EBacc increasingly looks like the performance measure that time forgot. It’s hard to see what purpose it serves any more. 

“It helps neither students, parents, teachers, nor school leaders. In our view, and in line with the Chief Inspector of Schools, schools should provide a curriculum with an academically rigorous core for all, plus broader opportunities in the arts and sport.”

Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the NUT teaching union, said: “The government now intends to introduce yet another accountability measure on which schools will be scrutinised and judged, including by Ofsted.

“Research carried out by Kings College London for the NUT showed that 74 per cent of teachers believed that the EBacc has narrowed the key stage 4 curriculum offer in their school. Arts and technical subjects are often the losers.

“The government’s persistence with a measure which reduces students’ opportunities to take part in such subjects risks disengaging them from education altogether.”

Diane Widdison, national organiser of education and training at the Musicians’ Union, said: ”We are very disappointed that concrete evidence showing the EBacc is having a detrimental effect on the take-up of arts subjects within schools has been ignored by the government in its response to the consultation.”

“Our concern is that art subjects, such as music, are gradually disappearing from the curriculum and often are only offered as extra subjects with pupils being charged for their delivery.

“This results in many pupils missing out of the opportunity to study arts subjects within school, and teachers of these subjects leaving the profession due to the lack of opportunity and recognition.

“We urge the government to reconsider their position and address this very worrying situation.”

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