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Creative Education
09 December 2025
Lead MP
Simon Opher
Stroud
Lab
Responding Minister
Olivia Bailey
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Word Count: 3644
Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Simon Opher raised concerns about creative education in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP asks for the Government to fund access to outdoor education experiences for all children regardless of location and support community-based arts organisations that work alongside schools.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Participation in arts subjects at GCSE has fallen by 42% since 0210, despite 90% of young people wanting to study creative subjects. Schools in deprived areas are almost 50% more likely to report a lack of specialist arts teachers and one in four schools cannot afford to run creative GCSEs. Additionally, fewer children from poorer areas have access to outdoor education residential opportunities.
Anna Gelderd
Lab
South East Cornwall
Financial education from an early age is vital and children in rural coastal settings face specific barriers to accessing creative subjects. The Government should examine these barriers and include these subjects as part of the offer for all UK children.
Chichester
The hon. Member for Chichester argued that a creative arts education can open up multiple opportunities and careers in the creative industries, not just those involving being on stage or creating music.
Jessica Toale
Lab
Bournemouth West
Welcomes the Education Secretary’s commitment to working through music hubs to support music education for children at all ages and highlights SoundStorm's efforts in her constituency.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Supports the importance of creative education for all children, especially those with special educational needs, and agrees it is crucial in helping them thrive and succeed.
Matt Rodda
Lab
Reading Central
Emphasises the role of community-based arts organisations in supporting schools and discusses the impact of musical education programs such as Rocksteady in reducing pupil absence rates.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
The arts have a positive impact on children's development, educational outcomes, and mental resilience. Research shows that children living in poverty are less likely to have access to arts education, increasing social divides.
Tim Farron
LD
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Highlights the disparity in outdoor education opportunities between wealthier and poorer areas, noting that only 18% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to these experiences.
Government Response
Olivia Bailey
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education
Government Response
The Government have invested £25 million in funding musical instruments and are committed to improving the arts curriculum through clear programmes of study. They also plan to launch a new national centre for arts and music education by September 2026, aiming to secure grant funding of £76 million for this academic year. Additionally, they are investing £2 million in a music opportunities pilot aimed at pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds or with special educational needs and disabilities.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.