ABSTRACT
The number of pupils pursuing curriculum music beyond Key Stage 3 is relatively low. Figures released by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in 2002 confirmed that the number of pupils taking GCSE music in each of the previous ten years had remained around 7 per cent (QCA 2002). The 2004/5 Annual Report on Curriculum and Assessment for music was more encouraging in noting that ‘in nearly 50 per cent of schools surveyed, the number of students opting for music in year 10 has increased’ (QCA 2005: 18), but these statistics hardly reflect the importance given to music in young people’s lives. In recent years there have been renewed efforts to ensure that courses and qualifications at KS4 and above are relevant and serve the needs of pupils. Successful teaching at this level has always emphasised practical musical engagement and been based on the full integration of musical skills. Recent changes have taken place in the context of the drive for personalisation, increased curriculum flexibility, and attempts to address the academic and vocational divide. These changes partly reflect demands to make qualifications and courses relevant, but largescale reforms such as the universal offer of the new diploma have forced major reviews of the arts entitlement at 14-19.
