New music education monitoring board to oversee government plan

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a monitoring board to oversee the government’s plan to improve music education.

Chaired by Veronica Wadley CBE, Baroness Fleet, the panel consists of a team of experts with various specialisms, ranging from teachers to music industry representatives. 

The experts will be monitoring the delivery of the commitments made in the National Plan for Music Education, released in 2020, ensuring that all young people will experience a broad musical culture in schools and education settings, and will access a high-quality music curriculum. 

As part of the music development plan, schools are also being asked to teach a minimum of one hour of music a week, supported by the national network of music hubs. From September 2024, music hubs will also receive £25 million to fund a variety of instruments for children and young people to play in school, including adapted instruments for those with special education needs. 

Government will work with the monitoring board to create an ‘impact framework’ to set out how to ‘monitor and measure’ the plan’s success.

Baroness Fleet says she is ‘delighted’ to be chairing the Monitoring Board, adding that they aim to ensure that ‘high quality music is embedded in schools and accessible to young people from all backgrounds’.

The national plan for music education monitoring board:

• Veronica Wadley CBE (Baroness Fleet) (Chair) – council member of Royal College of Music, co-founder and Chair of the London Music Fund and National Council Member for Arts Council England
• Catherine Barker – head of Music and Performing Arts United Learning and president of the Music Teachers’ Association
• Carolyn Baxendale MBE – head of Bolton Music Service (Greater Manchester Music Education Hub Lead)
• Rachael Coulthard – chief executive officer, The Wings’ CE Trust
• Richard Gill CBE – chief executive officer, The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership and Chair, Teaching School Hubs Council
• Anne Heavey – director of Insights, Ambition Institute
• Jamie Njoku-Goodwin – chief executive, UK Music and National Council Member for Arts Council England
• Gill Jones – Group chief quality officer and safeguarding lead for Busy Bees Nurseries Limited
• Simon Toyne – executive director of Music, David Ross Education Trust
• Ed Watkins – director of Music, West London Free School
• Bridget Whyte – chief executive officer, The UK Association for Music Education: Music Mark
• Cassie Young – executive inclusion officer, Our Community Multi-Academy Trust
• Hannah Fouracre – director, Music Education, Arts Council England (observer)
• Christopher Stevens – HMI specialist advisor and subject lead for music, Ofsted (observer)