Compulsory Ebacc for all

[noblegiraffe]

Given a conservative majority we can now expect them to implement their manifesto promises on education, one of which was making the Ebacc compulsory for all students.

My school currently removes low attaining students from languages to give them catch-up classes in maths and English. Not sure what we will do if this comes in. Presumably they will get a crap grade in languages and a worse grade than they would have in maths and English. Great.

[thehumanjam]

And sometimes people just don't have an aptitude for it LotusLight. I hated French with a passion I just couldn't get it. I was much more suited to German, I found it so much easier for some reason and actually enjoyed it.

[LotusLight]

A lot of children hate French because you actually have to do some work for it and perhaps ditto history and geography. So forcing them to make a bit of effort will get them used to how the rest of life is.

[thehumanjam]

Ds has just chosen his options, he is in set 1 for all subjects except French. He has not opted for a modern language, he is generally an A grade student, C for French. He doesn't enjoy learning it either. He has chosen options that will serve him well for the future and that he will enjoy studying. We discussed it at length with the teachers and they agreed that there wasn't really a feasible option to drop other than French.

I see no point in pushing subjects that children aren't interested in. As long as they are making an informed choice and are aware that they potentially are narrowing their future choices I don't really see an issue.

[morethanpotatoprints]

this is worse than the education of the late 60's early 70's.
No way would I have passed the ebacc.
I wasn't allowed to take o levels as not clever enough.
I left school at 14 went back to do CSE's so parents wouldn't have to pay for a no show.
You know you are doomed to failure before you start.
At least now we have alternatives for those less able academically.

[cricketballs]

Milly I don't think you fully understand what thefallenmadonna is saying.

Her school is providing the best, most suitable curriculum for students, but because of these demands placed, (whilst not compulsory but threats of Ofstead ratings basically make it so) means that schools can no longer offer a curriculum that suits the individual students ability/needs even though this should be praised.

[TheFallenMadonna]

well, that's nice.

[Millymollymama]

So I guess your learning difficulties children will remain with the correct curriculum and not do GCSEs. Around here the special schools are so good, I think they greatly out perform the secondary schools regarding provision, progress and outcomes for the SEN children that go to them. Their 6th form provision is outstanding.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Millyetc. We don't enter them for GCSE at the moment. Our curriculum is appropriate. Their parents have chosen our provision.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I can see why there is misreporting then. There must be a vanishingly small number of schools that don't offer Maths, an English, two Sciences, History or Geography, a MFL... The only thing might be that a very few schools used to offer only BTEC Science, but current performance measures will have already put them at risk.

[prh47bridge]

schools will be penalised for not entering all students for the EBacc

That may be true but it isn't what the manifesto actually says. I would be very surprised (and definitely against) if the government expects children with severe learning difficulties to be entered for GCSEs.

[Millymollymama]

The children with severe learning difficulties are in special schools here and are entered for entry level qualifications where appropriate, definitely not GCSEs. How can a secondary school child working at P levels be expected to do GCSEs? I would query your curriculum as it sounds inappropriate to me. My local special school is outstanding and so is their curriculum, but GCSEs are not compulsory. Are your SEN children in the correct school? I agree that is a worry.

[TheFallenMadonna]

All the reporting I have read says that schools will be penalised for not entering all students for the EBacc. I teach in a mainstream school. We have children with severe learning disabilities, working on P scales. The idea that we should enter them for the full EBacc is upsetting. I would certainly welcome clarification on the circumstances under which it would be acceptable not to enter a student for the full suite.

[prh47bridge]

It would indeed be weird. Perhaps they think (rightly or wrongly) there are some schools that offer all the subjects but don't allow students to choose the full set for GCSE. I haven't come across any such schools but I have come across some very weird ways of offering GCSE options.

You are right. We need to understand what they really mean by this. I have no idea!

[noblegiraffe]

That would only make sense, prh if there are any schools that don't offer the Ebacc subjects which would be weird.

The little card in the picture I posted above says compulsory Ebacc. I assume that came from the Conservative party.

Bugger, I wish I'd asked Nicky Morgan to clarify on her webchat.

[TheFallenMadonna]

BTEC Science is on the approved list now, but won't count in headline figures once the new style GCSEs come on line.

[prh47bridge]

They are saying that a school that doesn't make all kids take the Ebacc

No, they are saying that a school that doesn't offer the Ebacc subjects will be downrated, not a school that doesn't force students to take the Ebacc. That is why I find the language unclear. On the one hand they say that children will be required to take these GCSEs. On the other hand they say that schools must offer the relevant subjects. They do not say that anyone (schools or students) will be penalised if the school offers the relevant subjects but students choose not to take them.

[AtomicDog]

Should have said, the secondaries I've been speaking to have said they're not making pupils do History or Geography compulsorarily (if that's a word!) still letting pupils have free choice where it can be accommodated. How long do we think that will last?

[AtomicDog]

Well, the BTEC science is still on the approved courses list, so I assume some people are doing it still.

[noblegiraffe]

Will anyone be doing BTEC Science anymore? I've heard at least a couple of schools will be binning it.

[AtomicDog]

True, but anyone doing BTEC science loses one or two slots (depending on their options). Plus people doing BTEC science are less likely to be doing a GCSE language.

It's ridiculous that RE doesn't count. Studying RE is compulsory (though not sitting an exam) so why wouldn't it count?

[noblegiraffe]

With progress 8 you could fill your 3 Ebacc slots with French, German and Science and be fine, but be slated on your Ebacc measure because the student hasn't done a humanities, therefore doesn't qualify.

[AtomicDog]

Schools that don't enter children for beach subjects are going to be fairly well hammered under the new progress 8 measures, where children will have 3 of their 8 slots getting zero.
If a school's progress 8 measure is

[AtiaoftheJulii]

My eldest's grammar school don't insist on the EBacc - a humanity GCSE is compulsory, but they offer RS as an option, so a fair proportion of the kids there don't tick off the EBacc (my eldest for a start!). Stupid idea to make it compulsory :(

[noblegiraffe]

Not being able to get Ofsted's highest ratings is the stick which will ensure that schools do force all kids to take the EBacc. What do they mean by highest ratings? There are only 4, so the highest ratings must be outstanding and good. They are saying that a school that doesn't make all kids take the Ebacc can at most be 'requires improvement'. That's a pretty big threat that a head can't afford to ignore.