Implied hierarchy of subjects ‘not intended’: Ian Bauckham responds to ISM letter

Ian Bauckham has responded to ISM chief executive Deborah Annetts’ letter calling on him to ‘retract’ his comments about pausing school music lessons to free up teachers to cover other subjects.

Chair of Ofqual and CEO of the Tenax Schools Trust, Bauckham writes that the examples of music, PSHE and RSHE that he gave in his ‘emergency’ timetable case study were ‘not intended to imply any hierarchy whatsoever’, adding that he views the benefits of music education as ‘profound’.

Annetts’ letter in response to Bauckham’s initial comments suggested that he had ‘overstepped’ his remit as chair of Ofqual.

Addressing Annetts on Tenax Schools Trust letterhead paper, Bauckham responds: ‘I appreciate the concerns you raise and hope you will allow me to respond with the points that follow.’

He continues: ‘The case study was offered to the Department for Education in my capacity as the chief executive of a multi-academy trust, not in my other, entirely separate, role as chair of Ofqual.'

‘As you rightly point out, Ofqual has no role whatever [sic] in advising schools about curriculum or organisational matters. I had hoped that the introduction to the case study made this clear by stating that the case study was the result of our reflection on how to manage potentially high levels of staff absence in our trust and schools. Indeed, Ofqual was not mentioned at all in the case study.

‘I would like to be clear, again as the CEO of a multi-academy trust and a former secondary headteacher, that I entirely support your views about the importance of music in the curriculum. Throughout my career as a school leader, I have been committed to investing in music and to ensuring high levels of participation in music both within the taught curriculum and beyond. The benefits that musical education and participation bring to children and young people are in my view profound.

‘I also share your concern about the impact the pandemic has had on music education in schools and beyond, and hope that the full range of musical activities that children and young people benefit so much from, including performance, are able to be re-established as soon as possible.'

‘The piece was written to offer a range of emergency and very much short-term approaches which school and trust leaders might consider as a way to avoid simply running out of staff at a time when sickness or isolation levels might be high. As I said in the case study, there is no single right way to do this, and differing contexts will call for different decisions by headteachers and trust leaders. Music, and RSHE or PSHE, which I also mentioned, were examples only, and certainly not intended to imply any hierarchy whatsoever.

‘My own view as a trust leader is that changing the normal timetable for pupils for a short period, undesirable as it is, would be a decision a headteacher would take only if doing so avoided an even less desirable outcome resulting from simply not having enough staff safely to cover all classes during a period of intense pressure.

‘Once again, thank you for writing to me, and I hope that these comments address the concerns you raise.’

Responding to Bauckham’s reply, Annetts said: ‘Ian Bauckham’s response dated 10 January to the ISM’s letter makes it clear that he was speaking in a personal capacity and not as chair of Ofqual. The ISM notes that Mr Bauckham is concerned about the pandemic’s impact on music education and supports music education more generally.

‘Comments from those who hold senior positions in public bodies will always find their words associated with that position – we hope that instances like this, which caused concern across the music education sector, can be avoided in the future. The ISM would like to thank those who worked alongside us to establish the basis on which these comments were made. And the ISM will continue to stand up for music education.’

The letter has been shared in full on the ISM's website with Ian Bauckham's permission.