No special treatment for school music

Ofsted has rejected calls for music to be singled out for special evaluation in school inspections, on the grounds that the inspection framework “cannot commit to focusing disproportionately on an individual subject”. But attempts by the Don’t Stop the Music campaign to prevent schools from being judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ if they are not at least good or outstanding in music have led to changes that will be introduced in the autumn.

New-style Ofsted inspections are due to begin in September 2015, with a view to these being of “increasingly rigorous quality”, more valuable to the teaching profession and the public, more proportionate, and having greater impact. Following a consultation to which ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ campaigners contributed over half of all comments, Ofsted has conceded that “inspection must take account of whether schools offer a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. Music is clearly an element of such a curriculum.” As a result, the “breadth and balance” of a school’s curriculum will become one of the criteria on which the effectiveness of leadership and management in a school will be judged.

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, has welcomed the Ofsted decision to ensure that inspections consider the breadth and balance of schools’ curriculums, but she told AP: “…it is disappointing that some of the recommendations of the Henley Review of Music Education in England are still not being realised. We are also equally disappointed that music is not mentioned in many Ofsted reports. It is crucial to note that there is a National Plan for Music Education. A school should not be awarded an ‘outstanding’ in their inspections without providing a good music education to its children and young people. At the very least we expect Ofsted reports to include a reference to music provision and we urge Ofsted to resume their subject specific inspections.”