New school curriculum will teach every child to be a rock and roll star

EVERY child will have the opportunity to study music under a new national curriculum planned by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

Music is a major British export, worth £4 billion a year, and the industry employs 210,000 people. An Oasis reunion tour next year is expected to raise £400 million in ticket sales, or more if extra dates are added.

But the Government’s goal is to ensure that every child experiences a “broader curriculum” including music, art, sport and drama, in addition to subjects such as maths and English, whatever they end up doing for a living.

Professor Becky Francis, former Director of University College London’s Institute of Education and now head of a charity, is to oversee a full review of the curriculum in England for children aged five to 18.

She has been tasked with ensuring every child learns skills they will need in the workplace such as computer literacy and how to talk with other people effectively.

The new curriculum will also be designed to “reflect the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented.”

And the review will look at the way children are assessed, considering whether the right balance exists between examinations and other methods of grading youngsters.

Prof Francis has been asked to “work backwards” by considering what young people should have learnt by the time they leave school at 18 and then considering how earlier stages of education can help arrive at that goal.

She will consult teachers, parents and children, with recommendations due to be published next autumn.

Ms Phillipson vowed to “break down the barriers to opportunity” but urged parents to ensure their children attended school as the new academic year begins.

She said: “The start of the new school year marks a fresh start for fresh habits, and that includes getting children in the classroom every day. If we are to give children the best start in life, we have to make sure they have the strong foundations to build from and being in school is at the heart of that.

“Tackling persistently high absence rates requires partnership between the government, parents and schools. Parents have a legal responsibility to make sure their child is in school, so they benefit from the high and rising standards this government will seek to drive.

“In return, we will deliver on our commitment to break down the barriers to opportunity including tackling causes of absence through mental health support in schools, breakfast clubs in all primary schools and inclusive special educational needs support.”