English Baccalaureate?

[chloesmumtoo]

My son has had a lot mentioned about this at school and has been made to feel it is the thing to have, else they will be at a disavantage. I have to admit I have no clue on these matters and now panicing as to what it all means. I have an options evening at school tonight but just worrying incase it all goes over my head. Can anyone explain? Does it mean, if they take the subjects for the baccalaureate, they still get them graded as GCSE results, so what if they fail one or don't achieve the grades required for the baccalaureate, will they still have the subjects as singular GCSE grades to what they achieved but just wont recieve the baccalaureate status? I hope that makes sense.

It's really nothing to worry about. My understanding of it is that the E Bacc is just basically a set of 5 GCSE's at A-C grade

English
Maths
Science
A Humantity (History/Geography etc)
A modern language (French/Spanish etc)

The GCSE's will be graded as usual and are stand alone results. The Bacc just means that your child has taken and passed 5 "academic" subjects. Rather than, I don't know English, Maths, Science, Woodwork, Food Tech.

The bacc may have influence in the future WRT to college acceptance and University's (depending, presumably on what courses they want to study)

The English Baccalaureate isn't actually a thing at all its just a league table measure.

Your DS will still have all his GCSEs completely separately with their individual grades but if they match the requirements for the English Baccalaureate then his school will include him in the league tables as one of the pupils who achieved it.

The requirements are English, Maths, Science, a language and a humanities subject (only geography or history count here)at above grade c.

Just reading this through is making me think my own DD should choose History over Art at GCSE, as she definitely is not doing Geography. I don't care about her school's league tables but I do care about university acceptance down the line.

ChloesmumToo - what options is your DS taking?

The acceptance to uni/college is only a maybe BTW. Some 6th form colleges in our area (the grammer schools) have plans to only accept Bacc holders - but I have no idea if this is a nationwide trend or not.

My DS is taking the required subjects and had a further 2 choices - so your DD should be able to squeeze art and history in SSH?

Many thanks everyone that helps a lot. SugarSkyHigh, he is going for the set ones of English,Maths,2 Sciences,Geography and Spanish. Then is a little unsure on the 2 other choices. Which will be out of Art,D.T. or I.T.

Yes, the GCSEs are the measure of the child and the EBacc is the measure of the school. But it is no bad thing for a child to have EBacc - it shows 'allroundedness'.

It is so difficult for them, he was not really into Spanish but has convinced himself to do it due to the English Baccalaureate.

It sounds like you are lucky chloesmumtoo. Your DC has covered the EBacc subjects and has options to spare. A lot of schools seem to mandate subjects which means less room to manoeuvre.

Well done him! Very mature.
It does help doing a foreign language - it makes you look anew at your own native language and appreciate the rules (that you never realised were rules because you just pick them up by osmosis).

As long as I am understanding it fully Senua. Reading his school letter it states those main subjects for the EBacc and then goes on to say they will still have access to at least two further subject option choices. Hopefully thats right, will know more tonight

There is also a huge campaign to get RE included, if it does the percentage of pupils getting EBacc will magically rise from say 30% to 80%. Just watch this space incase it is the governments first Education slight of hand.

I would also think that exceptions will have to be made for some pupils who can't get the EBacc. (Eg Dyslexics who don't quite get C grade MFL)

Just to point out as I don't think anyone else has, that you need 2 sciences to get the science part of the ebacc, either GCSE Science and Additional Science or 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. GCSE Science on its own is not enough.

Abgirl, do you mean he may have to choose another science as one of his two further remaining option choices that they have mentioned?

Chloesmumtoo, does the OPtions booklet state the name of the science GCSE? AT DS's school, he will be doing double science, which I think is core science and additional science. The top set will go on to study triple science in year 11. So the double science will count as it's 2 grades.

Are you aware there's no certificate for the Ebacc. There's no actual piece of paper to say, 'you have achived the Ebacc'. Ds's school are really playing it down. He was going to take French to get the Ebacc (the only language they offer), but he HATES french, so has decided on another option instead.

I am happier he will be doing sublects he will enjoy more, and no pushing him to do a subject he really hates.

I work in a secondary school. we are encouraging pupils who may want to go on to university to take the E Bacc subjects as we have an understanding that universitys are going to have this as a compulsary requirement for entry shortly. We know that at least for the next couple of years universitys are looking on pupils who have the E Bacc more favourably.
Applied science and Btec science do not qualify for the E Bacc, it has to be a double science (core and additional) or you can count two from the triple sciences ( biology, chem, physics)

Just spoke to ds and he says it will be a double science but if he is eligible triple. I have no options booklet yet verybored, have the options evening tonight where they will hand out the booklets ect. Ds still seems set on the Ebacc so far, yes found out today that there is no actual piece of paper for it. Didn't really understand it all so thought I had better swot up. Atleast now with everyones help I have a better understanding of it all

We had options eve last night and they said the 'top' universities will require the Ebacc as an indication of breadth of study.

Sorry about the spelling btw - English is not my subject!