English Baccalaureate

[littlebillie]

Please tell me about it and is it if any value

[brizzledrizzle]

DS wanted to do the EBacc, but with Triple Science limiting his other option blocks he had to drop MFL for Business Studies, so won't get it.

Given that it's a performance measure for the school rather than a qualification that doesn't matter.

[AlexanderHamilton]

Dd is doing triple science & RE. She dropped History & geography in favour of music. Music & RE were non negotiable subjects for her.

[brizzledrizzle]

I think if a child is doing triple science, RE should be dropped in favour of History or Geography if they prefer.

You can do triple science and a humanity; my dd did triple plus history alongside RE without doing a silly number of GCSEs.

[Dermymc]

"The Church and religion still has an impact on Governmrnt thinking on education. Hence the daily act of worship. I think if a child is doing triple science, RE should be dropped in favour of History or Geography if they prefer. These keep more choices open than RE. I do think some schools are very short sighted and don’t do the best they can for their students. It’s a curriculum that suits the school, not the pupils."

Obviously you've never tried to write a timetable. Option blocks exist mainly for staffing!

RE has to be taught by law.

[AlexanderHamilton]

Neither dd or Ds are doing ebacc

Dd opted for RS instead of a humanity & Ds won’t be doing a language as he had to change schools at the start of year 9 & his new school doesn’t offer the language he studied in years 7 & 8.

[needmysleep75]

I have a DD in year 11, she is sitting 11 GCSEs this summer but refused to take a MFL she just really hated them. I saw little point forcing her to take something she really didn't want to. The school tried a bit as she is predicted all level 7s and above but she wouldn't budge from her view.

[ReelingLush18]

roguedad what type of school is your DS at? It's unusual for good schools to allow academic DC to ignore both Geography or History (just as it would be to allow a child to not study at least double science).

There is more to both History and Geography than just being able to write essays...

[roguedad]

DS is doing GCSEs in English, Maths, triple Science, Computer Science, German, Chinese and Music. He wants to be a scientist or maybe a medic. There is no good uni in the UK which will be unhappy about his choices or give a damn about him not conforming to Gove’s retarded eb subject prejudices. In selecting a secondary school we excluded from consideration all schools which made the eb list compulsory or who had RS compulsory to GCSE. We wanted our son to be able to choose things he both enjoyed and is good at. He has ended up with plenty of breadth and the fact that his breadth is achieved through music and 2 MFL rather than humanities is irrelevant. He has to write essays in Eng Lit and Music. He also adds breadth through a lot of sport and music participation. Right now he is on an exchange visit to Germany. I could not care less about the eb other than to be clear in my mind that it is a total waste of time.

[BubblesBuddy]

The EBacc has been around since Gove and he’s been gone for a few years now. I think RE doesn’t count in the EBacc because, ultimately, it’s not a facilitating A level. History and Geography are I believe and so are all the other ENacc subjects. That isn’t to say RE is easy but it doesn’t keep the doors open like History and Geography do. Pushing RE over History and Geography doesn’t do brighter child any favours.

I do think 8 GCSEs is a bit light for top of top set children. It is highly likely they will have to drop desirable subjects which shouldn’t be encouraged.

[clary]

Bertrand I agree I would want a top set student to do a range of subjects.

Doing ebacc won't leave them 4-5 options tho! Ds2 could pick two subjects; his mate is at a school where they do 8 (9 if you do triple) so they have one choice - he picked PE. 😁

[ReelingLush18]

I would however say that I've not heard anyone say "have you got the EBacc, or not?" All anyone seems to be interested in is number of subjects and grades! So it's a 'summat and nowt' type of achievement, I would say!

[ReelingLush18]

Gosh that surprises me about RE - DS did eleven subjects including RE.

[BertrandRussell]

“88% of DS's cohort obtained the EBacc. The percentage should really have been higher given that it's a super-selective.“

That rather sums it up-it’s one of those headline measures that does not show any context. It doesn’t matter what our school does and how well it serves its cohort it can’t begin to compete on EBacc.

Incidentally, dd’s selective school had low EBacc figures because a lot of the scientists chose RE as their humanity because the department was spectacularly good- and RE doesn’t count.....

[ReelingLush18]

88% of DS's cohort obtained the EBacc. The percentage should really have been higher given that it's a super-selective. I have a recollection that the way the 'option' subjects were timetabled meant that a few chose something non-academic over a MFL though.

[BertrandRussell]

But also having said that our school is completely stymied when it come to Ebacc because it has a very high % of lower achievers who don't do a MFL....

[BertrandRussell]

" DS’s school are pushing it saying if you want a place at a top Uni EBAC is the only way to go.*
That's not true. But, having said that, why would you not want your child to do English, Maths, a Humanity, a Science and a MFL? Particularly a top set child? They still have 4 or 5 other options to choose.

[InMySpareTime]

He's Y11 now, the EB was all new to them at that point and the way the option blocks worked, the numbers of students choosing each option and timetable restrictions all fell such that there was no way he could continue with Spanish despite decent marks up to Y9. I met his head of year and everything, there really was no way to make it work.

[BubblesBuddy]

Why would any school not enable a child to do triple science and an MFL? For bright children, that’s outrageous! No wonder Private school children get into Oxbridge on MFL courses. They have been given the chance.

[InMySpareTime]

DS wanted to do the EBacc, but with Triple Science limiting his other option blocks he had to drop MFL for Business Studies, so won't get it.

[MaisyPops]

It's a group of subjects which keep your options open.

The government want 90% of students to get the EBACC measure but they don't seem to realise there's not enough teachers nationally in Ebacc subjects to make it happen.

I tell my students it's a useful set of subjects to have. We direct some of our students (good MFL) to take a Ebacc route and we give the option to most and for some who it's just not right for we don't push it and accept the hit in the league tables in order to do what is best for pupils.

[ReelingLush18]

DS got one of his best grades in RE (and we're an atheist family!) and his lowest (pass) in the MFL taken. He definitely would have been better doing nine (from results perspective) rather than 11. As someone completely without interest in STEM it just about crucified him having to spend so much time revising those three subjects.

[titchy]

Spiker we don't live in a secular society hence the requirement to teach RE - our country is headed by the church.

9 GCSEs will be fine, even for ultra competitive courses at university.

[clary]

Actually my DCs' school says the compulsory RE is form time or assembly... anyway Phil and ethics is offered as an option. PE is also compulsory in ks4 but that's not usually as a GCSE!

Nine GCSEs is fine. If you do double science at the DCs school you do nine.

MFL esp the new course which is haaarrd is not for everyone IMO. And it's my subject. I don't want to teach it to kids who hate it and would rather do art.

[sashh]

Drama, music, art, dt are not part of it, as obviously this country requires no musicians, actors, or designers.

Absolutely, I mean it's not like have any designers, artists, business people or musicians. Much better to compare their maths skills with children in Korea/China and make them feel shit.

[spiker]

That’s exactly how I feel B.B.

Sigh...