There has been another significant drop in the number of arts GCSE and A Level entries, part of a worrying trend from recent years, but hardly surprising as so few students have had any practical arts activities since March 2020.
Read the full report from the Cultural Learning Alliance here.
The result: far fewer arts GCSEs and A Levels are studied across England’s schools than a decade ago.
-38% decline in arts GCSE entries 2010 to 2021
-1% decline in arts GCSE entries 2020 to 2021
+2.4% increase in GCSE Cohort number 2020 to 2021
-31% decline in arts A Level arts entries 2010 to 2020, -1% decline 2020-2021
Although there has been an overall decline in arts subjects, there are a few positives to note. There has been a slight increase in GCSE Art & Design, and GCSE Music takeup, and while there has been a 3% drop in GCSE Dance, there has been an 8% increase in A-Level Dance.
GCSEs
England only results 2010 2020 2021 % change 2010 % change 2020
to 2021 to 2021
Art and Design Subjects 172,504 190,400 195,578 +13% +3%
Dance** 15,884 9,130 8,848 -44% -3%
Design and Technology 270,401 88,872 81,774 -70% -8%
Drama 81,592 57,808 56,739 -30% -2%
Media/Film/TV Studies 63,808 34,657 32,528 -49% -6%
Music 46,045 34,665 35,202 -24% +1%
Performing arts 23,505 8,996 8,688 -63% -3%
Total 673,739 424,528 419,357 -38% -1%
A-Levels
England only results 2010 2020 2021 % change 2010 % change 2020
to 2021 to 2021
Art and Design subjects 42,577 38,907 39,293 -8% +1%
Dance** 2,261 1,116 1,203 -47% +8%
Design and Technology 16,519 9,167 8,343 -49% -9%
Drama 15,144 8,668 8,640 -43% 0%
Media/Film/TV studies 31,032 19,508 18,810 -39% -4%
Music 8,790 5,032 5,039 -43% 0%
Performing arts 3,666 1,060 1,152 -69% +9%
Total 119,989 83,458 82,480 -31% -1%
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