Contract for the National Centre for Arts Education announced: Etio confirmed as delivery partner

Etio, an education consultancy and the government services arm of education software and services company Tribal Group, has been awarded the contract for the National Centre for Arts Education by the Department for Education (DfE), with Arts Council England being asked to ‘support the Centre to develop relationships across the cultural education sector’.

Etio is set to establish the Centre, with a phased implementation planned to begin from the end of September, and then run the Centre for at least three years.

The role of the Centre is to deliver the government’s ambition to “revitalise arts in schools in England, so every child can access a rich, high-quality arts education that nurtures creativity, confidence, cultural understanding, and personal expression”. This includes equitable access to high-quality teaching, training and enrichment opportunities for children and young people.

Interim Chief Executive of One Dance UK, and Head of Children and Young People’s Dance, Laura Nicholson said of the news:

“As the Subject Association for Dance in Schools, One Dance UK is pleased to see the National Centre progressing. We have always been ready to work constructively with whoever was appointed to deliver it, and we look forward to building that relationship with Etio. This is an important opportunity to help shape the future of dance in education and to strengthen access to high-quality dance provision for children and young people in schools.”

The Centre will be responsible for coordinating funding and investment and generating data and evidence to guide decision-making and targeting support where access to high-quality arts education is most unequal.

Etio currently leads and delivers the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), alongside a range of other large-scale education projects. Its wider work includes reviewing, evaluating, benchmarking and supporting education services across the world.

The government has said the Centre will work closely with leading arts and cultural organisations and sector bodies to help ensure it reflects the breadth and diversity of England’s cultural landscape.

The contract is expected to be signed following the statutory standstill period.