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Original poster

Who here has an English Bacc?

61 replies

Seville · 24/01/2011 12:19

Just curious as to how good an indicator it is to future prospects.

So: do you have a GCSE or O Level equivalent to the EBacc?

did you do A levels

did you go to university

OP posts:
stillenacht · 24/01/2011 22:44

I think that an option from one of the arts should be in there- how balanced is it without any arts being represented? Also, originally Gove cited music as being a humanity (in some Unis it comes under the Humanity Faculty). Music is the only arts subject which is highly academic and creative too :)

TheFallenMadonna · 24/01/2011 22:49

I'm not keen on adding in another required subject - our students on the EBacc pathway now only get one free option. Humanity? Hmm. I think it's possibly a different skill set, but then Gove is anti skills and pro facts isn't he?

stillenacht · 24/01/2011 22:54

What is/was wrong with:

Eng Lang
Eng Lit (opt)
Double Science
Maths
One Language
One Art
One Humanity
and one choice of their own

whats wrong with that? The arts are really going to lose out with this new target setting thang. Grrrrrr

stillenacht · 24/01/2011 22:54

oops forgot DT....oh, and ICT...well those can be options in my curriculum

TheFallenMadonna · 24/01/2011 23:01

DT, RE, ICT, PE...

And what about triple science? We do that as an option subject. So that would be no choice in your scheme?

TrillianAstra · 24/01/2011 23:05

E Bacc only needs one science, one modern language, one of geography or history, plus English language and maths.

At grade A-C I assume?

Yes, English, Maths, Science, French, History.

Doing the first 4 was compulsory (French or German or Spanish), and you had to choose History or Geography or Social Sciences (the latter ended up a 50/50 split between keenos who did 2 humanities so did history as well and people who thought it sounded like the easy option)

TheFallenMadonna · 24/01/2011 23:06

It needs two sciences Trillian. I am completely certain (science teacher).

TrillianAstra · 24/01/2011 23:16

I did triple science actually.

No choice - top set did triple, bottom set did single, everyone else double.

My top line was a quote of the first listing I could find of what I needed to answer the question, should have italicised or something.

OnlyMeUK · 25/01/2011 02:32

Ah TFM, so two sciences as per:-
www.education.gov.uk/performancetables/Statement-of-Intent-2010-Addendum.pdf

So
Yes, (just)
Yes
& Yes

bitsyandbetty · 25/01/2011 07:29

Yes - school encouraged it in the 80s
Yes
Yes

Tortington · 25/01/2011 07:32

dont know what it is, but i have an english gcse, a-level and degree so yes went to uni.

however it didn't really help me in anyway but i have a nice picture of miself in a funny hat.

stealthsquiggle · 25/01/2011 07:35

Not 100% sure what is involved in a Bacc, but pretty sure I have it somewhere in the 11 O Levels (yes I am that old).

so:

Yes
Yes
Yes

iskra · 25/01/2011 07:54

Yes, yes, yes.

We had to take Eng Lit, Eng Lang, 1 MFL, 3 Sciences, Maths, Geog/History & short course RE. Had two other options left.

Not sure it indicates future prospects though. Haven't flown high yet.

eatyourveg · 25/01/2011 08:02
  1. Yes
  2. Yes
  3. Yes
Chica31 · 25/01/2011 08:08

We had to take
Eng lit, Eng lang, 1 MFL, 2 sciences, Geog or history or RE, maths and a art. So everyone had to take the English Bacc courses

So out of the few choices we had I did, Geography, French and German, Music and PE as an extra.

I did A levels and degree

GrimmaTheNome · 25/01/2011 08:33

Yes, Yes and yes

In my schooldays (70s) a lot of kids - especially girls - didn't do chemistry or physics, just biology - I'm not sure you had to do a science. And that was in the O-level sets, I'm pretty sure the CSE sets didn't have to do any (it was a grammar turning comp with GCSEs and CSEs running in parallel so we had both going on)

We were only allowed to do 8 O levels so 2xEnglish, maths, 3 science,French and Geography covered the bases but didn't allow for any arts or tech - I would have liked to do history too but couldn't do it as well as geog. You really had to narrow down early if you wanted to be a scientist.

We were only allowed to do 4 A levels if they were Chemistry, Physics and double maths which fortunately is what I wanted to do anyway.

anastaisia · 25/01/2011 17:06

yes, no, no

roisin · 25/01/2011 17:48
  1. Yes
  2. Yes
  3. Yes

dh

  1. No
  2. Yes
  3. Yes

db

  1. No
  2. Yes
  3. Yes
pinkcushion · 25/01/2011 18:14

1)No

2)Yes
3)Yes

And I have not missed the modern language I dropped. I can't believe I would remember much of it anyway - I have forgotten most of my degree!

I think too much of a fuss is made about GCSEs - unless you pursue a subject to a higher level most of us will have forgotten a large quantity of the information we learnt.

IwishIwasabodenmum · 25/01/2011 18:24

No
Yes
Yes

I have all the requirements for the EBAC (All A - C as was in my day), except only single Science. In my very working class school very few were actually encouraged to do double science (triple or individual subjects was not even on offer).

Instead though, all students did have to choose At least one from: Music, Art, Drama, Woodwork, Metalwork, Home Economics Food, Textiles or Child development.

I think often it says more about the school people went to rather than the abilities of the child.

I now have degree, masters and currently working on second masters. But wouldn't qualify for the Bacc.

hatwoman · 25/01/2011 18:28

no (only did one science)
yes
yes

hatwoman · 25/01/2011 18:30

erm....information alert the BBC describes the e-bac as "five core subjects - maths, English, two science qualifications, a foreign language and either history or geography." now either maths has changed since I did O levels or that's 6 subjects.

or they mean "one of two sciences"

Marlinspike · 25/01/2011 18:31
  1. Yes (although have forgotten all the facts crammed into my tiny, tiny mind since then)
  2. Yes
  3. Yes

FWIW I think Michael Gove has adopted a a knee jerk reaction to the review of the curriculum. Why is RE not worthy of inclusion in the EBac? What's wrong with music, drama or art? I do think we need a review of all these GCSE equivalents (I'm thinking of some of the skills-based ICT modular courses where you can end up supposedly with the equivalent of 4 GCSE's), but these things take TIME... also what is the point of RETROSPECTIVELY creating this measure and reporting against it in the league tables? I thought he was all for simplifying things, not adding layers of complexity!

hatwoman · 25/01/2011 18:31

in which case I change my answers to yes yes yes

mum295 · 25/01/2011 18:50

Yes
Yes
Yes

However, DH is No, Yes, Yes and went to two (ahem) former polytechnics, whereas I went to two of the best universities in the world...I am currently SAHM and he earns way more than I could ever hope to. My career was nothing to write home about. Planning to reinvent myself once DC2 is born.

DH jokes that I studied housework at and laundry at . Yes, very funny dear.

I think the key difference between DH and I was that he's always had the confidence to switch jobs in order to build his career, and is great at building relationships and networking, whereas I stayed loyal to the devil I knew, until I was made redundant.

My point is that I think there is more to future prospects than grades. I would much rather my DCs are well-rounded people and confident in their abilities without being cocky.