Music Hubs Funding Cuts: Music Mark Responds
18th June 2026
Following the confirmation on Wednesday 17th June 2026 that the English Music Hub network will receive a revenue grant of £76m for the 2026/7 academic year, just four weeks before the end of term, Music Mark has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson.
The Music Hubs receive Revenue Grant funding alongside raising other income from fees, grants and sponsorship to provide musical learning opportunities within and beyond the school day including first access programmes, music tuition as part of the curriculum, ensemble opportunities and training and resource development for classroom teachers. The funding amount being allocated and the one-year confirmation are both of significant concern.
This government funding represents an essential proportion of the money available to provide initial and progressive activities for children and young people. It has reduced in real terms over the past eight years of standstill funding. The Bank of England says that £76m in 2019 would equate to around £100m today. Hubs’ other funding sources are under pressure as parents and schools find it harder to pay for provision, and providers report that there are fewer sponsorship and grant opportunities available to meet the shortfall. It is therefore inevitable that the government’s and the sector’s aspirations for equitable access cannot be realised. Music Mark’s members are telling us of cuts to provision, remissions schemes and jobs to manage financial pressures.
In addition to standstill funding, planning to deliver provision and training is significantly hampered by one-year funding settlements, which remove the ability to develop longer-term strategic plans. There was an indication that the government might announce a two-year settlement in line with the government’s current three-year budget period, but this announcement means that, for the 11th year in a row, the Music Hub network will only be able to plan for one year.
Our letter to the Secretary of State outlines our concerns and asks for an urgent review of funding levels and immediate confirmation of funding beyond August 2027 in line with the timeframe published as part of the Music Hub investment process.
We await a response.
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