GCSE Subjects and the EBacc

[lexie01]

My DD1 is in yr5 and I have started to investigate local secondary schools. Our local comp is rated Ofsted outstanding and scores well in the League Tables (GCSE a-c or equivalent 90%). However it's EBacc scores are quite low (20%) which is a worry.

I have asked the school twice to provide me with a breakdown of all the subjects which students took GCSE's in but they have refused and simply refer me back to the league tables.

Am I asking the wrong questions or do they simply not have to provide this information??

What exactly have you requested? Have they given a reason for their refusal?

You need to remember that the Ebacc was suddenly thrown into the league tables with no warning for schools and that MFL is not compulsory at KS4 therefore many schools did not force students to study a language.

Why does it worry you that EBacc scores are low? Why do you think it matters?

I asked for this when looking at schools. Some already provided it on websites or Open Days, some did on request, some refused and wondered why I wanted to know.

They definitely have the information.

Before the ebacc, did schools with balanced intakes where almost no-one was studying a MFL and either history or geography as well as the core subjects really think they were educating their pupils well?

You could try asking them for the results for subjects that more than 10 children took, in case they were worried about confidentiality, and you could try asking the the options booklet or whatever that their year 9s are probably currently looking at. You could also find another school locally that does provide this info, and point that out.

Good luck - don't give up. There are some strange anomalies in the league tables so the raw data can be reassuring - but this stuff does matter.

There could be lots of reasons. My dd's school, for example, has surprisingly low EBacc figures, but that is because a lot of the kids choose RE as a humanity because the course at the school is particularly well taught and interesting, but it means they don't get the EBacc.

Have you asked the school directly about their EBacc figures?

Thanks for all these replies. Sorry I haven't replied sooner.

The reason I wanted the information is that I was concerned that the school could be suggesting students take slightly easier subjects in order to maintain their league table position. When the EBacc came out last year I was really amazed at how low the figures were for most schools - I say most because this does not appear to be an issue at grammars and inde schools. I had been under the naive impression that all students Had to take a science, language and humanities subject as I did when I was at school.

The fact that the school cannot (or will not) provide me with the information I have asked for worries me further. I have simply asked for a list of all subjects in which exams were taken in and the number of students taking each subjEct. I don't think this is an unreasonable request. As you say seeker there may be very good reasons for the low figure but unless I get the information I will never know.

Wish me luck as I am about to send another request through to the school x

okay, fair enough, I get it.
It's probably time-consuming to collect that info for just one request.
Local high school not only publishes & distributes the info you want, they also say what marks were received. They do it to show that although their averages are mediocre there are some stellar high achievers in the cohort, too.

lljkk - I would hope that a secondary school should already have lists of subjects and number of students taking each subject at exam level so it shouldn't take too long to collate the information.

I have just had another look at the performance data for this school out of the 167 students in ks4 only 27 took the EBacc. Of these 20 were classed as high attainers. However this school have a very high percentage of high attainers (I hate that word but that is how they are categorised in the table data). This I still think is very low.

I have emailed the school again so we will see what happens next.

Lexie01, I don't know if this will help, but I wouldn't be too worried about the EBacc. For example, the majority of private schools haven't scored too well on the EBacc (and some grammars) as they don't force pupils to take History or Geography, but offer Latin, Astonomy, Ancient Greek, Classical Civilisation etc. Equally, they were dumped on pupils who, when they chose their options 2years previously, had never heard of the EBacc.
I would just focus on the Maths and English results. Besides, Gove is changing his mind on a weekly basis about the EBacc. it's a myth that a low score=soft options all of the time.

DD is currently choosing her options. The school told us that the ebacc is just a measure to make the school look good and should not influence our choices. DD wants to do RS as her humanity, so she won't do history or geography and won't be in the ebacc scores.

School is within its rights to refer you to league tables and it sounds to me,like you're being a bit of a pain if im honest. . You won't be the only prospective parent so why do you think that the data manager should be spending time analysing data for you which is above what is published?

Tbh I don't see what benefit you'll get from knowing how last years part cohort did in their exams when it is 7 years before yours will be due to take them. You need to like the school and their plans for the future.

High attainers are categorised at entry through ks2 SATs data I believe, so the analysis is supposed to show you how well they do with each group.

I think you're putting far too much emphasis on the wrong thing. If it were me (and mine are Yr 2, so ages yet) I would be looking at VA scores rather than EBacc, partcuarly given that EBacc is a relatively new measure, and one which was originally applied retrospectively.

I also think you're going OTT getting cross that the school is failing to provide you with very specific information, given that your child is in Yr 5 and you are only looking around at the moment. The number of students taking specific courses will change year on year. For example, I teach Performing Arts. In Yr 11, there are 16 students taking it. In Yr 10, there are 40. Not sure what that kind of information would tell you other than that Yr 10s prefer drama...

(A cautionary tale on EBacc figures - a very, very selective grammar got 0% EBacc this year, absolutely the lowest in the country ...because they took iGCSE not GCSE English. Lies, damned lies and statistics.....)

I think you're putting far too much emphasis on the wrong thing ... I would be looking at VA scores rather than EBacc, partcuarly given that EBacc is a relatively new measure, and one which was originally applied retrospectively.

I think that it is the retrospective introduction that make the current figures so telling - it shows what the schools were doing whilst they thought no-one was watching. Our school has a good EBacc because they encourged the pupils to have the fabled 'rounded education' and weren't teling the pupils to enter for stupid subjects just for League Table purposes.

OP, can you ask for sight of the current GCSE Options booklet?

Senua,

But some schools have low EBacc figures because they entered pupils for things - like the iGCSE, or RE, or Ancient Greek - that are as much part of a rounded education as those subjects in the EBacc but for various reasons don't get counted....

I, for example, would have the EBacc.

My younger brother wouldn't, because he took electronics and art instead of history or geogaphy.

My elder brother wouldn't, because he took music instead of history or geography.

All of us had a rounded education, that got us where we needed to be (Oxbridge, etc)

BoundandRebound - Schools are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. If anyone makes a request they must either provide the information or state the reason for their refusal.

EBacc only covers 5 subjects though. Most students these days take 10 or more GCSE's so having a high EBacc score does not preclude a 'rounded education'. I see the EBacc as providing a solid foundation which students can add to as they wish - they can still focus on the arts or science by choosing additional subjects ontop of the EBacc.

I agree entirely with senua. The EBacc was retrospective but I think gove was trying to prove a point and he succeeded . By showing that many state schools were not giving their students the solid educational foundations we thought they were. I went to an awful comp in the 80's but even there I had to take subjects which today would constitute the EBacc.

And to everyone who thinks I am being difficult well yes maybe I am but I don' think I m asking for anything which they shouldn't already possess. Surely any school would have a list of all subjects in which exams were taken and the number of students taking each subject.

But some schools have low EBacc figures because they entered pupils for things like the iGCSE, or RE, or Ancient Greek

List of approved exams for inclusion in the EBacc can be found from here. It includes some iGCSE, but not all - I think that some are not recognised.
Ancent Classical Greek is included in EBacc.
Entering for RE doesn't preclude you from getting the EBacc. Both mine got the EBacc and RE. It doesn't have to be an either/or. Many schools enter most pupils for RE because it is a compulsory subject at KS4 so they might as well get a qualification while they are at it; it is not considered as an 'option'.

lexie01 - If you simply want a list of subjects and number of students taking each subject you should tell the school in writing that you are making a Freedom of Information request for that information. They can only refuse such a request if:

• giving the information contravenes the Data Protection Act
• the information is exempt
• it would cost more than £450 to answer your question

If they refuse without giving a reason or even if they state one of these reasons I would write again saying that unless they provide the requested information you will refer the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office. A referral won't cost you anything and will result in the school being forced to provide the information unless they can convince the ICO that they have a valid reason to refuse your request.

Thanks for that information bridge. I won't hear anything from them this week as it is half term but I will definitely bear that in mind next week when I am in contact with them again. Thanks

Your comment lexie01 about the EBacc only covering 5 subjects as most take 10, is misleading. Of the 5, science counts for three and English for two (lang and lit). That is usually 8 in total as a number of GCSEs. Therefore, most year 9s will only have two more subjects they can choose from. Not five more. Not as rounding an education as Gove will have you believe. I really think you are placing too much value on the EBacc and falling into Gove's trap of being 'seen' to do something, but not doing anything of value, yet. Also, the majority of schools will have a prospectus they will provide you with GCSE and A Level subject data when your DC is in Year 6. Can you wait until then?

Blissx - I'm afraid you haven't understood the EBacc. The exam boards all offer an English GCSE which is a single subject and meets the requirements of the EBacc. Similarly science can be a single GCSE - Science Double Award. So Lexie is correct that it is possible for a student to gain the EBacc with only 5 GCSEs.

There is also a new performance measure coming in which will show the proportion of students gaining the EBacc plus three further GCSEs.

Also the EBacc has made a difference. Prior to its introduction there had been a long term drift away from modern foreign languages, history and geography. That has been reversed. In 2010 only 22% of GCSE pupils were entered into exams that would have earned the EBacc whereas 48% of pupils starting GCSE studies last year have the potential to earn the EBacc with their chosen subjects.

One can argue about whether or not this is a good thing, of course.