Opinion with Beccy Thompson

It has been another bleak year for the numbers of students studying the performing arts in schools. In 2023 drama GCSE candidates dropped by 7%, performing and expressive arts by 17%. This ‘downgrading of the arts’ has occurred since the introduction of the EBacc and despite efforts to change ‘what counts’ towards it, the arts are not included. Undoubtedly, the figures are worrying and give only a glimpse into the experiential crisis faced by performing arts departments as they battle to keep their subject(s) alive.

So, can we reconcile this issue? The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future report does an excellent job of outlining the urgent need for a rethink. As educators though, there is little we can do immediately to alter the EBacc's impact on retaining student numbers at KS3 and 4. Yet, we can be ready to articulate the necessity of our subject(s) to the school curriculum and make the case to leaders in charge of timetabling and students’ exam option selection.