Best Practice

Music education: Breaking down barriers for vulnerable pupils

Music provision is an integral part of the curriculum and yet evidence suggests variability in quality of provision and considerable barriers for pupils facing socio-economic deprivation. Laura McPhee considers what support is out there
Image: Adobe Stock

School leaders continue to face numerous challenges and so it can feel ambitious to ask them to prioritise music education and consider making adaptations to their provision.

While there has been much discussion in recent years of a “broad and balanced” curriculum, in practice a culture of high-stakes accountability has contributed to an unspoken hierarchy between traditional academic subjects and the arts.

This is compounded by a lack of resource and competing priorities. In some instances this has resulted in a narrowing of the curriculum.

However, the benefits of high-quality music provision extend far beyond any recommendations made by the Department for Education (DfE) or Ofsted.

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