An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity

Jones, Nathan (2025) An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity. [Report]

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Abstract

The twelfth and final report in a year-long series – produced jointly by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives – that seeks to deliver a country that works for all children and young people, warns the talents of millions of children are being ignored and wasted, and calls for creativity to be embedded into an inclusive school curriculum supporting all children – including those with SEND – to develop a new generation of creatives to boost economic growth. The report, An evidence-based approach to creating a culture of inclusive opportunity through arts and creativity, calls for the Government’s Opportunity Mission to boost culture, creativity, and arts in schools to inspire children, improve mental health, strengthen school belonging, tackle the school attendance and attainment crises, and support children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds to build careers in the creative industries. It says the success of the UK’s cultural and creative industries is now seriously imperiled by this neglect and warns that the educational pipeline that supplied the infrastructure for professional music careers is severely restricted. The report calls for a cultural shift to create an inclusive education system with creativity at its heart. It argues schools should not merely be places of ‘reading, writing and maths’ but places where young people can express themselves, explore diverse identities, and develop the critical thinking skills needed to thrive. It also argues that the evidence shows that schools which value inclusivity and belonging have a better understanding of their students, particularly those from minority backgrounds and those with SEND, leading to increased sense of school belonging and helping to tackle the current school attendance crisis. The report includes new analysis showing the importance of an inclusive education system, revealing that children are over three times more likely to become Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) at 16-18 years when they disengage from the education system and are persistently absent from the classroom. A third (34%) of persistently absent children were identified as NEET, compared to just 9% of children who did not have such attendance issues. Previous reports have shown that unsupported Special Education Needs are likewise a major risk factor for children becoming NEET. This new analysis also shows that pupils attending faith schools, which often show increased ratings of a sense of belonging, have a 20% lower rate of NEET compared to pupils from non-faith schools. The report makes a series of recommendations to the Government in three key policy areas: Cultivating creativity and critical thinking through inclusive education; Increasing arts investment to create an inclusive education system; and Enriching education by connecting schools to cultural institutions. The proposals include: Calling on the Government to meet its manifesto pledge to support the study of creative and vocational subjects in school, alongside embedding teaching for creativity into the curriculum and ensuring Ofsted inspections reflect the importance of creativity and the arts to attainment and inclusion. Setting up an £150m ‘Arts Premium Fund’ to develop the existing primary school workforce and train the next generation of teachers to provide arts learning. Putting creativity and the expressive arts at the heart of the primary school curriculum, with every primary school a ‘singing school’ where children should feel free to sing, make music, paint, draw, create, play, and act. Doubling the early years premium and directing these funds towards developing the foundational skills needed within primary school and society. Introducing a ‘Cultural Enrichment Fund’ to encourage partnerships with local cultural institutions, enabling schools to host artist-led workshops, theatre productions, or music classes and thereby enrich the experiences of all their students. Developing educational partnerships with cultural institutions such as museums, theatres, and music academies to offer alternative routes to engaging students who may not thrive in conventional academic environments (e.g., those with SEND), and prioritising partnerships with schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged or rural regions.