The global success of the UK music industry is rooted in music education and creative skills. High quality music education is vital for securing our talent pipeline and producing the highly skilled music professionals of the future. 

Moreover, music education’s impact extends beyond careers, equipping individuals with a range of transferable skills and providing cultural enrichment. 

Music is vital to our economy, our culture and our society. It is one of our greatest national assets and as set out in our Industrial Strategy, and a key growth subsector in the Creative Industries Sector Plan  – so it’s more important than ever that we invest in music education. 

The music industry has always thrived on opportunities, yet so-called “lucky breaks” do not happen by accident. They are the result of years of hard work, underpinned by having an education system that supports music and creativity, as well ensuring that we have the right infrastructure in place and targeted funding and investment.  

The Government must work with industry to ensure that opportunities and music education are available to all children, not just the most privileged.  

What are the issues? And how can the Government Fix Them. 

Declining numbers in GCSE and A-Level Music  

The number of pupils taking GCSE and A-Level music is in a state of long-term decline. 

The number of pupils taking GCSE music in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is down 21.0% from 2015. Meanwhile, the number of pupils taking A-Level music is down 35.3% since 2014. 

This decline correlates with the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which does not include creative subjects, thereby pushing students to select other subjects at GCSE. 

Following the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in late 2025, the Government confirmed it is abolishing the EBacc. While this is a major success, focus must now turn to reforming Progress 8, which is the basis for school league tables.  

Because Progress 8 was originally built around EBacc subjects, it must be rewritten to give arts subjects equal weighting. The Government must ensure that Progress 8 has a “Breadth” slot that would explicitly protect creative subjects. 

Decline in Music Teachers 

There has been a significant decrease in the number of music teachers at secondary level. In 2011, there were 8,043 music teachers, but by 2025 this had fallen to 7,116 – nearly 1000 fewer.  

Trainee music teachers are entitled to a bursary of £10,000. Meanwhile, those enrolling in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for chemistry, computing, maths, or physics will receive a bursary of £28,000. While those enrolling in teacher training for biology, geography, and languages will receive a bursary of £25,000.  

Put simply, the financial incentive to train as a music teacher is lacking compared to other subjects.  

The Government should commit to hiring 1000 new music teachers. To help achieve this, they should increase the size of the Initial Techer Training bursary to in-line with those of other subjects. 

Issues Around the Governments Proposed V Levels 

Vocational qualifications have always been the unsung but vital hero of the music talent pipeline, offering a well-rounded and industry-informed perspective on music that nurtures creativity. 

The Government’s proposed V Level qualification presents some issues that threatens the success of this pipeline. Namely: 

National Occupational Standards do not reflect creative careers – The Government’s proposal to link V Levels to rigid National Occupational Standards (NOS) fails the music sector. Performance-based NOS are largely non-existent, and music careers are portfolio-based, moving fluidly across creative and entrepreneurial roles rather than single, job-specific titles.  

V Levels are restricted to the size of a single A Level – This would dismantle established, two-year, full-time programmes (equivalent to three A-Levels). In specialised subjects like Music Technology or Performance, this will leave students without a coherent, deep programme of study.  

The unsuitability of a single T-Level – Replacing broad vocational routes with a single, narrowly defined T Level ignores how the creative sector operates. T Levels require large-scale industry placements that are unviable in a music industry dominated by freelancers and micro-businesses. 

The Government must consider these issues when implementing the proposed V Levels programme, ensuring that the qualifications move away from occupational standards, are sufficiently broad, and can be larger than just one A-Level. 

University Music Cuts 

The reduction in grant funding by the previous Government has led to the closure of several university music departments and specialist music institutions, including those at the University of Kent, University of Wolverhampton, and Oxford Brookes University.  

In 2021, the Department for Education cut grants to help deliver courses like music by 50%, with funding further frozen in 2024.  

The Government must reverse cuts to grant funding for creative arts course grants at universities. Without a reversal, more courses will inevitably be cut, dealing a major blow to academic institutions, educators, and the creative industries.