The English Baccalaureate has really affected the League tables...

[MrsTweedy]

Is anyone else finding this fascinating? I am really surprised at how few pupils at well-regarded schools in my area have done what I would consider core subjects eg
Richmond Upon Thames

The Ebacc is basically English, Maths, a science, a language & history or geography with A*-C passes. These were compulsory in my day (okay I am ancient and did O Levels). It just shows how the curriculum has changed and how schools have been slanting it recently to improve their league standings on the previous benchmark.

I suppose it depends on which criteria you use to rate them ie either the EBacc or just 5 A-C GCSEs at the end of the day but it is certainly a surprising result in some cases.

Humanities is one of the specialisms at DDs school.
Yet History and/or Geography are not compulsory GCSE options.

The English bacc has really thrown up a hornets nest! My local secondary school which heralded an 80 percent pass rate at GCSE level in the local rag only gained a 2 percent pass rate at the English bacc. It begs the question when it comes to academic subjects what are they teaching these children today. I am of the old school, I studied O levels, no course work, just hard work with everything being drummed into you and you had to do everything correctly!! I was fortunate enough to go to a grammar school and I enjoyed school. How these current secondary schools can have such a high pass rate is beyond me but the bacc shows some of these schools for what they really are. It all makes interesting reading. And another thing who agrees with me that OFSTED should just go in unannounced and get on with it!! No time to prepare - lets see the schools warts and all!!