Education & Skills

Have your say: Progress 8 reform must work for the arts!

The Government is consulting on reforms to Progress 8 and Attainment 8, with responses due by 4 May. This consultation is a critical opportunity to challenge accountability measures that have squeezed creativity, narrowed the curriculum and marginalised arts subjects in schools, including drama, music, dance and visual arts.

SOLT & UK Theatre welcome the Government opening the door to reform that could finally support breadth, balance and creative entitlement. For too long, performance measures have driven schools towards a narrow, EBacc‑dominated curriculum, often at the expense of the arts.

What is changing – and why it matters

Progress 8 and Attainment 8 are the two main GCSE performance measures used in England to judge how well secondary schools are doing at Key Stage 4 (KS4).

The proposed model removes EBacc subject slots and restructures Progress 8 into eight slots: double weighted English and Maths, two science slots, and four ‘breadth’ or ‘choice’ slots.

For the first time, creative subjects are explicitly included within breadth, alongside humanities and languages. Vocational and technical qualifications – including in creative subjects — would also be allowed.

This is progress. But it is not enough.

With so many subjects competing in the breadth bucket, Arts subjects are at risk – particularly in schools that already prioritise science, humanities and languages.

The consultation also proposes the possible creation of an additional science category. This would directly undermine the aim of rebalancing the curriculum and dilute any positive impact for the arts subjects

SOLT & UK Theatre’s Position

We welcome the removal of EBacc slots and the recognition of vocational and technical pathways. But we are clear: accountability reform must actively value the arts, not simply remove barriers and hope for the best.

Performance measures have played a major role in the decline of arts provision – contributing to reduced curriculum time, which is so crucial for children who are less likely to access cultural experiences, such as theatre trips, outside of school. This consultation is a chance to shift the dial.

A broad and balanced education is not optional, and the arts are not expendable. If these reforms are to deliver genuine change, the arts must be explicitly and meaningfully valued within performance measures.

Act now

The consultation closes on 4 May. We strongly members and partners to respond. This is a pivotal moment to make the case for the Arts and to ensure they are not sidelined by accountability reform.

You can see details of the consultation and how to share your views here.

To help inform your response please see our response below.

There is no need to respond to all the questions in the consultation. We have listed those that we believe are key:

SOLT & UK Theatre Response to consultation on Key stage 4 performance measures and targeted RISE extension

Question 11: How far do you agree that these changes to the Progress 8 model strike a better balance between breadth and flexibility compared with the current P8? Please explain your views. [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

While the proposed changes are well intentioned, we do not believe they will, on their own, deliver a meaningful improvement in access to an arts‑rich education. As currently formulated, creative subjects continue to be structurally disadvantaged by being positioned in direct competition with two EBacc subject blocks.

This means that schools which already prioritise EBacc entry are unlikely to make different curriculum decisions under the revised model. As a result, if these proposals are introduced, they will exacerbate existing patterns of subject choice rather than incentivising genuine breadth.

For pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, this limits access to Drama, Music, Dance and other expressive arts that form the essential pipeline into the theatre industry and the wider creative industries.

For the theatre sector, this matters because early exposure to an arts-rich education through creative subjects develops the skills, that underpin progression into performance, technical theatre and arts administration. Without stronger incentives for schools to protect arts provision, the proposed changes fall short of achieving a balanced curriculum.

Question 12: What are your views on the inclusion of a fourth category (science) for breadth slots 5 and 6? [Support inclusion of a fourth category / Do not support inclusion of a fourth category / Unsure]. Please explain your views [Free text– limit of 3000 characters].

We do not support the inclusion of science as an additional category for breadth slots 5 and 6. While science is a vital part of the curriculum, its inclusion at this stage further dilutes the intended impact of the reforms and runs counter to the stated aim of increasing access to creative subjects.

Having so many subjects competing in the breadth bucket is unlikely to be helpful for any Arts subjects, given how marginalised they have already become in many schools. This is highlighted in the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) Report Cards.

[Source: https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/evidence/#annual ]

In practice, this proposal risks crowding out arts subjects even further, particularly in schools where timetable flexibility is limited. For creative education pathways, this is likely to exacerbate existing declines in GCSE Drama and Music entries, narrowing the progression route into further and higher education and, ultimately, into the workforce.

If the objective is to ensure a broad curriculum, education policy must recognise that breadth includes expressive and cultural learning, not only academic diversity within STEM and EBacc subjects.

Question 13: Do you agree that Progress 8 should allow technical awards in the breadth and choice slots, with a maximum of two across all slots? [Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly Disagree]. Please explain your views [Free text– limit of 3000 characters].

We agree that technical awards should be permitted in the breadth and choice slots, with a maximum of two across all slots. This supports parity between academic and technical pathways and better reflects the realities of progression into the theatre and live performance workforce.

The theatre industry depends on a workforce of highly skilled technical professionals such as lighting designers, sound engineers, stage managers and production technicians. Allowing appropriate technical qualifications within Progress 8 would validate these pathways and help schools support pupils whose strengths are practical, creative and vocational.

This approach would also align with the Government’s ambitions around skills, technical education and workforce readiness, while maintaining overall curriculum balance.

Question 15: Do you have any other comments on the proposed changes? [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

We would welcome greater recognition in the accountability framework of the wider educational value of arts and cultural learning. The knowledge, skills and experiences developed through expressive arts subjects, such as creativity, communication, teamwork, empathy and critical interpretation, are essential not only for careers in theatre and the creative industries, but for employability and civic life more broadly.

The Capabilities Framework for Arts Education articulate these outcomes clearly and could usefully inform future accountability reforms. Without an explicit commitment to protecting arts education within performance measures, there remains a risk that creative subjects are treated as optional rather than integral to a high‑quality education.

[ Source: https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/evidence/#capabilities ]

Question 21: Do you have any other comments on the proposed changes in this chapter? [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

The decline in arts education, which was driven primarily by the focus of previous governments (2010-2024) on a narrow range of subject areas, led to a systemic devaluing of Arts subjects and experiences in schooling in the state sector in England.

[Source: Cultural Learning Alliance 2024 Report Card https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/evidence/#annual]

Question 30: Do you believe the proposed changes (any or all) will have a specific impact on particular groups of learners or staff because of their protected characteristics? Please explain the impact, specifying which proposal your response relates to. [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

As outlined in our response to Question 12, we do not support the inclusion of science as an additional category for breadth slots 5 and 6. It’s inclusion at this stage further dilutes the intended impact of the curriculum reforms and runs counter to the stated aim of increasing access to creative subjects.

This is particularly important for learners whose families are less likely to introduce them to cultural experiences outside the classroom. As outlined in the Sutton Trust’s ‘A Class Act’ report having parents that “work and/or are interested in creative hobbies, such as galleries and the theatre, is associated with a higher likelihood of doing such activities as a child through after-school clubs or days out”.

[ Source: https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/a-class-act/ ]

For this reason, SOLT & UK Theatre are calling for funding to ensure that all children have the chance to go to the theatre at least once before leaving school.SOLT & UK Theatre support initiatives to improve regular, year-round access to extra-curricular cultural opportunities however our Theatre for Every Child campaign addresses the reality that many state educated children have never visited a theatre.

[ Source: https://uktheatre.org/theatre-for-every-child/ ]

Question 31: Are there any risks that the proposed changes could unfairly impact on certain types of schools or on certain groups of pupils (e.g. those from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with SEND)? Please explain the impact, specifying which proposal your response relates to. [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

Schools serving disadvantaged communities, or those with limited timetable flexibility, are most at risk of being unfairly impacted by these proposals. Arts subjects are often the first to be reduced when accountability pressures increase. This has long‑term consequences for the performing arts sector by narrowing the talent pool and reinforcing socio‑economic barriers to entry into creative training and employment.

Evidence from the Policy and Evidence Centre for the Creative Industries shows that there is large variation in engagement in cultural activities by socio-economic background. For example, the research published in May 2025 found that 51% of people in ‘managerial/professional households’ have been to the theatre in the last 12 months, whilst the figure for ‘semi-routine / working class.’ is 26%. This discrepancy leads to inequities in terms of which groups of children have the opportunity to experience theatre.

[ Source: https://pec.ac.uk/news_entries/scale-of-inequality-in-arts-and-culture-revealed-by-new-research/ ]

Question 32: Do you have any suggestions for how any potential negative impacts on particular groups of learners or staff could be mitigated, or positive effects enhanced? [Free text – limit of 3000 characters]

As referenced above, we are concerned that the proposals as they stand will further narrow access to arts education. The Sutton Trust’s 2024 report, A Class Act found that younger adults from working-class backgrounds are 4 times less likely to work in the creative industries compared to their middle-class peers. Furthermore,at four institutions – Oxford, Cambridge, Kings College London and Bath – more than half of creative students come from ‘upper middle class’ backgrounds.

[Source: https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/a-class-act/]

SOLT & UK Theatre, with the support of the Gatsby Foundation, commissioned Shift Insight to conduct research to better understand skills gaps and shortages in the off-stage technical workforce.

We were particularly interested in understanding:

• In the theatre industry, which off-stage technical roles are hard-to-fill for SOLT & UK Theatre members?
• Where hard-to-fill vacancies exist, which are due to skills shortages?
• What are SOLT & UK Theatre members doing to address skills shortages in their organisations?
• Why are theatre organisations not making greater use of technical qualifications to address their technical, craft and production skills needs?

The report finds clear evidence of prevalent skills shortages across all off-stage technical roles. Respondents to the survey reported particular difficulties in recruiting to mid-level and freelance roles. Shortages were amplified as the pathways and opportunities are not clearly established earlier in the skills and talent pipeline.

Read the full report.

Technical qualifications are not widely used in our industry. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) & UK Theatre’s 2017 Workforce Review found that only 37% of theatre employers surveyed offer apprenticeships.

We are therefore working with government and our members to improve awareness of qualifications and courses including T-levels, apprenticeships and skills bootcamps that have the potential to meet the sector’s workforce needs. Learn more by watching this T-Levels webinar.

To support our members efforts to tackle the theatre industry’s skills shortages we call on the government to:

• Introduce a flexible skills levy.
• Reinstate the employer incentive to enable larger organisations to employ apprenticeship coordinators and scale-up their apprenticeship intake.
• Widen the availability of Level 2 apprenticeships.
• Improve public and employer awareness of apprenticeships.

Read our briefing on apprenticeships.

The theatre industry’s skills shortages have their routes in the education system, which leaves many uninformed about the career opportunities within the theatre sector. This is one of the reasons we have launched our Theatre for Every Child Campaign, to ensure that all children are introduced to the joy of theatre as well as made aware of the exciting career opportunities on offer in the theatre industry. The campaign calls for:

• A funded government commitment to ensure that every child has the opportunity to experience a professional theatre visit before they leave secondary school.
• An arts rich curriculum for every child.