Pupils at schools where the arts were integrated into the curriculum showed stronger performance in maths, English, critical thinking and verbal skills, he added.

BBC: 'Keep arts at heart of curriculum' says Nicholas Serota

Two of the key features of the CECAP programme are its flexibility and the integrated nature of the curriculum.

UNESCO: Country Profile: Uruguay

Japan has integrated ESD into national curriculum guidelines (the Courses of Study) and the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education.

UNESCO: Social and Human Sciences

The programme has been introduced into schools in all participating countries and, in order to guarantee its durability, is currently being officially integrated into the educational curriculum in some pilot countries.

UNESCO: Small Island Developing States

The National Union of Teachers said any lessons must be well integrated into the whole primary curriculum.

BBC: Teach foreign languages from age five, says Gove

Sex education also needs to be an integrated part of the national curriculum in every school not just an optional extra for interested schools.

BBC: Your comments

She made a decision to choose an integrated environment that had more diversity in both curriculum and population.

NEWYORKER: The Other Obama