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Thousands miss chance of new English Bacc | Thousands miss chance of new English Bacc |
(40 minutes later) | |
Thousands of teenagers in England had no chance of getting the new English Baccalaureate in their GCSEs, official data shows. | Thousands of teenagers in England had no chance of getting the new English Baccalaureate in their GCSEs, official data shows. |
At 175 state schools, not one pupil was entered for all five of the subjects counted in the new measure. | |
Education Secretary Michael Gove says the Bacc is an "aspirational measure" which will drive up standards. | Education Secretary Michael Gove says the Bacc is an "aspirational measure" which will drive up standards. |
But head teachers complain it was brought in after pupils sat their GCSEs last year. | But head teachers complain it was brought in after pupils sat their GCSEs last year. |
The government has just published href="http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000985/index.shtml" title="link to Department for Education website " > additional league tables data which allows parents to see how individual schools are doing on all 84 GCSE subjects. | |
This is an update to the secondary school league tables released in January. | |
The English Bacc was brought in by the coalition government. | The English Bacc was brought in by the coalition government. |
It is not a qualification in its own right, but is a measure of how many children get a good GCSE (A* to C grade) in English, maths, two science qualifications, a modern foreign language or classical language and either history or geography. | It is not a qualification in its own right, but is a measure of how many children get a good GCSE (A* to C grade) in English, maths, two science qualifications, a modern foreign language or classical language and either history or geography. |
The January league tables showed that just 16% of 16-year-olds achieved the Baccalaureate last year. | The January league tables showed that just 16% of 16-year-olds achieved the Baccalaureate last year. |
In more than half of state secondaries (1,600), fewer than 10% of pupils gained the necessary GCSEs, and 270 of England's state secondaries scored zero on this measure. | In more than half of state secondaries (1,600), fewer than 10% of pupils gained the necessary GCSEs, and 270 of England's state secondaries scored zero on this measure. |
England is the only UK nation to publish school league tables. | England is the only UK nation to publish school league tables. |
The new data shows that about 25,000 16-year-olds were in the 175 schools where no pupil was entered for all five of the subjects which count towards the Bacc. | |
Of this 175 total, 44 were academies - schools which are state-funded but independently-run. | |
Academies were promoted under Labour as a way of turning around failing schools. | |
The coalition government is encouraging all good schools to apply for academy status. | |
Transparency | |
The new data also shows the extent to which a school's league table position is influenced by points scored by pupils who took courses which were not GCSEs, but which were counted as such. These are usually vocational subjects. | |
Mr Gove says under Labour too many pupils were pushed towards less academic courses to boost their school's league table position. | Mr Gove says under Labour too many pupils were pushed towards less academic courses to boost their school's league table position. |
He has been accused of setting "retrospective targets" for schools - but says publication of this detailed data will give parents and others information they need and "shine a light on excellence". | He has been accused of setting "retrospective targets" for schools - but says publication of this detailed data will give parents and others information they need and "shine a light on excellence". |
"This is the next stage in our drive for greater transparency," he said. | "This is the next stage in our drive for greater transparency," he said. |
"More information will allow people to identify the schools that are performing well and to interrogate schools about the choices they have made." | "More information will allow people to identify the schools that are performing well and to interrogate schools about the choices they have made." |
At 27 schools, no pupil was entered for a language counted in the Bacc; at 42 schools none was entered for the humanities component and at 33, none was entered for the science element. | |
Mr Gove insists the standard measure on which schools are judged - that of proportion of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and maths will remain central to the accountability system. |