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Original poster

Can anyone explain the EBACC to me please?

36 replies

mrsshears · 05/02/2012 22:09

Hi sorry for my clueless post but options are a new thing for me, my dd knows she is taking all the required/mandatory options and will be taking geography,art,drama and german for the others.
On the options booklet that has been sent home she can either take the traditional GCSE route or this new EBACC route but i have no idea what the difference is? do they both count as gcse's? i will call dd's teacher tomorrow to find out more but i just thought i would ask here first
TIA

OP posts:
CustardCake · 06/02/2012 10:38

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sue52 · 06/02/2012 10:31

If the EBacc isn't a qualification in it's own right, how can you be said to have it?. I haven't seen it on any university course entry requirements yet.

CustardCake · 06/02/2012 09:58

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CustardCake · 06/02/2012 09:56

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webwiz · 05/02/2012 22:33

I would have thought the Ebacc route WAS the traditional GCSE route so its no wonder parents are confused if this is the sort of stuff schools give out.

mrsshears the choices your DD has made means she would be considered as having the Ebacc for her schools league table but it shouldn't make any difference to her other than she has a nice mix of subjects to carry on to GCSE.

seeker · 05/02/2012 22:32

It's just a name for getting A*-C in 6 traditional subjects. Which a child with an eye to their future should be doing anyway. And it is also a way to clarify league tables. People did not understand that the league tables included vocational and othery non academic subjects as GCSE equivilants.

GnomeDePlume · 05/02/2012 22:26

It is to the advantage of the school as it is one of the measures. The subjects included are traditional. This can be a major advantage. One of the pieces of advice I gave DD1 when choosing GCSEs was to go for subjects which dont take too much explanation. This is especially important if planning to go to university.

Original poster
mrsshears · 05/02/2012 22:17

Thanks,so as far as dd's concerned then both routes will give her gcse's but the ebacc is more for the schools benefit but could be useful if she decides she wants to go to university?

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 05/02/2012 22:14

Not sure what your school means by the ebacc route but the ebacc (English Baccalaureate) is a schools performance indicator (ie a measure) of the percentage of students achieving A*-C in English, mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography.

oneofsuesylvesterscheerios · 05/02/2012 22:14

Do excuse the typos. Blimmin iPhone

oneofsuesylvesterscheerios · 05/02/2012 22:13

The ebacc is just a way for the league tables to measure what kind of gcses students are taking. Your dd can take whatever gcses she's likes, but the school may try to guide her into the ebacc gcses as it will reflect well on them. The gcses that count as the ebacc are: 1 English, maths, science, 1 humanity out or history and geog and 1 MFL. Mist schools are selling the ebacc as a more academic route towards uni.

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