Music Mark CEO joins National Plan for Music Education Monitoring Board
13th June 2023
Music Mark CEO, Bridget Whyte, has been confirmed as one of the members of the new National plan for music education monitoring board
The UK Association for Music Education – Music Mark works hard to influence policy and practice on behalf of its membership across the UK. This work includes regular conversations with government and arm’s length bodies (such as Arts Council England (ACE) and the Welsh Local Government Association). At Music Mark, we are committed to ensuring the voice of our members and the young people they work with are heard and that music remains part of every child’s education both in and outside the classroom.
In the summer of 2022 the Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport co-published the ‘refreshed’ English National Plan for Music Education (NPME). Within it the government announced:
‘We will monitor progress of the refreshed NPME and drive improvement through a newly established National Plan for Music Education Board. Its work will be evidence and needs-led.’
The membership of the monitoring board was published today and Music Mark’s CEO, Bridget Whyte, has been confirmed as one of its members. Commenting on this appointment Bridget stated:
‘I am honoured to be joining the Monitoring Board to represent the Music Mark membership. As indicated within the plan itself, this new Board will ‘support and challenge government to ensure they continue to make progress towards their overarching ambitions for all children to have access to a high-quality music education’. I am looking forward to listening to those working in music education in England and providing, together with my peers, the ‘support and challenge’ the government are seeking through an ‘evidence and needs-led’ perspective.’
This announcement comes a week after the government confirmed, through ACE, its map for the new network of music hubs which will be put in place from September 2024 following the planned Music Hub Investment Programme led by ACE. Implementation of the new National Plan however is already in progress with the current Music Education Hub network preparing to deliver elements of the plan from September 2023, including supporting schools across the country to develop School Music Education Plans.
Find out more about the National Plan for Music Education Monitoring Board.
