For Government & Policy Makers
Dance in Education: Supporting Policy at a Time of Change
The Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review, alongside proposed reforms to Progress 8, represents a significant and welcome moment for curriculum policy in England.
As policymakers consider the next phase of implementation, dance stands ready to contribute to the Government’s ambition for a broad, balanced and inclusive education system- one that values creativity alongside academic achievement.
DLG welcomes the direction of travel set out by the Department for Education and fully aligns with the position of One Dance UK, and Arts and Minds whose evidence and sector leadership have helped ensure dance is meaningfully recognised within national policy discussions.
From Structural Change to Sustainable Provision
While these reforms are welcome, the sector is clear that policy change alone is not sufficient.
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To fully embed dance and the arts within the curriculum, schools must be supported through:
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Restored and sustained investment in arts education funding
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A strong, specialist workforce, supported by high-quality initial teacher training
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Ongoing professional development for teachers delivering dance and arts subjects
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DLG shares the view expressed by both One Dance UK and the Arts and Minds Campaign that workforce investment is critical. Without it, curriculum freedoms risk remaining theoretical rather than translating into consistent, high-quality provision for pupils.
Why Dance Matters to Government Priorities
Dance directly supports a range of policy objectives, including:
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Improved physical and mental wellbeing
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Inclusion and engagement for diverse learners
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Development of transferable skills valued by employers
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Access to cultural and creative career pathways
Resources for Government & Policy Makers
Arts and Minds Evidence
Arts and Minds have gathered evidence to support the case for putting creativity at the heart of the curriculum. These include evidence and reporting for the economic case, wellbeing, 'smashing the glass ceiling' and access.
Annual Cultural Learning Alliance Report Cards
The largest falls in GCSE exam entries in the last two years have been in Media/Film/TV studies (20.6%) and crucially, Dance (5.6%).
The Case For Cultural Learning
When children study arts subjects, their behaviour improves and so do their results in English and maths. The Cultural Learning Alliance has conducted a wide ranging survey of existing English language data on the instrumental outcomes of cultural learning.
A Sustainable Future For Dance
A resource exploring all the ways One Dance UK is working to advocate for dance in education, and how the reader can support
The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future
Calling on policymakers to ascribe greater value to the role of the arts as part of a rethink of the state education sector. The report reflects on policy developments over the four decades since ‘The Arts in Schools: Principles, practice and provision’, the influential 1982 Gulbenkian report, which helped secure the arts’ place in the National Curriculum and contributed to a new ecosystem of education teams in cultural organisations.