Ed Sheeran takes a bow for his role in reshaping England’s school music curriculum

5 November 2025

Ed Sheeran performs at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London. (Hannah McKay / Associated Press)

In a move that marks a significant shift for creative education in England, Ed Sheeran has claimed partial credit for influencing a major overhaul of how music is taught in state schools. His contribution was noted by Department for Education (DfE) ministers after an open letter organised by his foundation and signed by more than 600 artists and cultural figures pressed for reforms to make music education more inclusive, diverse and accessible.

The backdrop to this moment begins with a curriculum review led by Becky Francis, which addressed long-standing concerns that England’s music and arts subjects have been sidelined under performance-measure regimes such as the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) introduced in 2010. The EBacc focused schools on a defined set of academic subjects and was criticised for marginalising creative disciplines. Schools routinely flagged music, drama and art as under-resourced and under-prioritised.

Sheeran’s involvement stems from his own experience at state schooling in Suffolk and from his foundation’s campaign to elevate music educational opportunity. He has said that without the encouragement of his school music teacher he would never have become the musician he is today, and he repeatedly stressed the role music played in building his confidence and rescuing his mental health. The open letter he drove to the government advocated for broader genre representation in schools, better teacher training, and removal of barriers that treat music as a luxury rather than a right.

When the government responded this week by announcing curriculum changes that aim to bring arts and creative subjects back into the heart of schooling the timing of Sheeran’s campaign proved influential. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the singer-songwriter during a statement in Parliament declaring that “the arts should be for all, not just a lucky few.” The DfE said it wanted to give every child “a strong start” in music and widen the appeal of the subject across a range of genres.

Industry and arts-sector bodies welcomed the changes with enthusiasm. Arts Council England described the announcement as “a great day for the next generation of creative talent” while Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) called the moment historic specifically citing the EBacc’s track record of damage to music and creative subjects since its inception.

The reforms are not limited to music. They also include a focus on media literacy, new routes for modern foreign language study before GCSE, and a recalibration of school performance metrics so that creativity, arts and expression play a more prominent role. This reflects a broader understanding that a rounded education must value more than just academic examination outcomes.

For Sheeran the moment is both personal and symbolic. He has said that the “key points” raised in the open letter are now recognised and that this marks the first change to the music curriculum in over a decade – a timeframe that underscores both the inertia-of-the-system and the scale of the achievement. At the same time he emphasised that the work is not done he called for continued support for music teachers, investment in instruments and facilities and a wider cultural shift so that music ceases to be seen as an optional extra.

From a larger perspective the development touches on themes of access, identity and inequality in the arts. For decades the decline of music provision in state schools has correlated with narrowing pathways into creative industries and a reinforcement of cultural privilege. By campaigning for curriculum reform, Sheeran has put a spotlight on how early access to music education can affect life chances, aspiration and wellbeing. His intervention serves as a reminder that popular-culture figures can leverage their visibility to elevate structural issues rather than simply using their platforms for personal branding.

Yet questions remain. Structural change must be matched with resourcing, consistent policy, and sustained teacher development if the announcements are to translate into classrooms. Moreover the focus on widening genre representation and giving a “strong start” raises issues around whose musical traditions are acknowledged, how cultural diversity in music teaching is defined, and how equity across schools in wealthy and disadvantaged areas will be achieved.

In short the moment feels like an inflection point rather than a conclusion. Sheeran’s role in it more than a symbolic footnote: his lived experience, industry standing and advocacy converge into a practical intervention in education policy. For young pupils who may now see music not as an afterthought but as core to their schooling it may mean something quite profound. As the reforms land and implementation begins the success will depend on how schools, teachers and the arts sector mobilise around them and whether the promise of music for all can indeed become reality.