Hours of arts teaching and number of arts teachers in England’s secondary schools continue stable after years of decline
12 October 2022
Department for Education figures published 9 June 2022 show that between November 2020 and November 2021 the number of arts teachers increased by +2% and the number of hours the arts were taught in secondary schools overall did not change. The number of children in England’s secondary schools went up by +2% over the same period.
As in previous years, Design & Technology continues to see falls; in the last year the number of hours taught fell by -7% and the number of teachers did not change.
It is worth noting History and Geography have continued to see increases in the number of hours taught in the last year, on top of existing increases in teacher numbers and hours over the last decade of between +17% (the increase in the number of History teachers) and +43% (the increase in the number of hours Geography is taught).
No overall recovery in number of arts teachers or hours taught
Although the number of arts teachers has remained stable over the past two years and hours the arts are taught have increased by +2% in the last year, we continue to be concerned that there has been no overall recovery in the number of arts teachers and hours taught over the last decade. The 2021 hours taught figures are between -7% and -50% lower than in 2010. There are -49% less Design & Technology teachers now as in 2010, -19% less Drama teachers and -7% less Art & Design and Music teachers.
These changes need to be seen in the context of rising student numbers; there are +9% more secondary school pupils now compared to the 2010/11 school year, and in the context of increases in teachers and hours taught for other subjects. For example there are now +23% more Geography teachers than a decade ago and an increase of +48% in the hours taught.
Headcount of teachers by subject
|
Recorded in the November of each year |
2010 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Percentage change 2010 to 2021 |
Percentage change 2020 to 2021 |
|
History |
15,000 |
16,919 |
17,132 |
17,587 |
17% |
3% |
|
Geography |
13,500 |
15,774 |
16,326 |
16,548 |
23% |
1% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Design and Technology |
15,000 |
8,312 |
7,728 |
7,692 |
-49% |
0% |
|
Music |
7,500 |
6,543 |
6,837 |
7,003 |
-7% |
2% |
|
Drama |
11,100 |
8,963 |
9,059 |
8,976 |
-19% |
-1% |
|
Art & Design |
13,200 |
12,112 |
12,160 |
12,212 |
-7% |
0% |
|
All arts subjects |
46,800 |
35,930 |
35,784 |
35,883 |
-23% |
0% |
Hours taught by subject
|
Recorded in the November of each year |
2010 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Percentage change 2010 to 2021 |
Percentage change 2019 to 2021 |
|
History |
153,400 |
192,708 |
201,039 |
207,259 |
35% |
4% |
|
Geography |
138,700 |
179,547 |
192,035 |
198,353 |
43% |
7% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Design and Technology |
119,900 |
63,056 |
58,770 |
59,737 |
-50% |
-7% |
|
Music |
92,700 |
79,633 |
83,663 |
86,480 |
-7% |
5% |
|
Drama |
95,000 |
81,068 |
83,855 |
85,033 |
-10% |
3% |
|
Art & Design |
159,800 |
134,985 |
138,136 |
138,706 |
-13% |
2% |
|
All arts subjects |
467,400 |
358,742 |
364,424 |
369,956 |
-21% |
2% |
Notes
All data is from the Department for Education School Workforce in England statistics, which is recorded in November and the school census data recorded in January of each year.
Between the 2010/2011 and 2021/2022 school year the number of children in England’s secondary schools increased by +9% (from 3,262,635 to 3,567,372).
Data for Dance is not available in the released Department for Education figures.