A parents' guide - the English Baccalaureate

What is the English Baccalaureate?

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) was announced by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education, in Autumn 2010. It is a purely notional performance indicator; it is not a qualification, diploma or a certificate. It exists only in the realm of Government league tables. It was applied retrospectively this year several months after pupils had sat their examinations. Similarly, pupils currently in Years 10 and 11 have already started their GCSE courses, unaware of the EBacc.

The intention is to inform parents and the public as to whether a school offers its pupils academic GCSE courses which can lead on to A levels and traditional university degrees. The long-standing performance measure of 5 A*-C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics encompasses BTEC qualifications (for example, in ICT, health & social care, animal care or floristry) which have been given the equivalence of between 4 and 7 individual GCSE grades. Thus pupils may have appeared to have 13 or 14 GCSEs, but in reality they may have studied only four subjects.

How do you gain the EBacc?

In order for a pupil to count as having the EBacc they need to have achieved at least a C grade GCSE in mathematics, english, two science subjects, a modern or ancient foreign language and in either history (including ancient history) or geography. Only these subjects are acceptable. IGCSE examinations do count, provided that they have been accredited by Ofqual, the examinations regulatory body. However, the Edexcel IGCSE mathematics did not qualify in time for the 2010 EBacc league table.