ebacc in the humanities

The E-BaccIntroduction

National Update1

Alan ParkinsonSSAT Consultant

National Update2

a.parkinson@gmail.com

Twitter: @GeoBlogs

IntroductionsWhat is your school story

National Update3

The English Baccalaureate Building participation and performance in the Humanities

National Curriculum review and the 2010 White Paper The Importance of Teaching

Tim OatesChair of Curriculum Review

Aims"embody for all children in England their

cultural and scientific inheritance, enhance their understanding of the world around

them and introduce them to the best that has been thought and written".

National Update5

Busy times for education• Pension changes & industrial action• International comparisons (PISA)• Scrapping of modular GCSEs• New OFSTED framework• Social media & new technologies• Examination system – errors• “more accountability measures..”• Changes in Initial Teacher Education• Free schools and Academies• Changes in testing for PGCE entrants

National Update6

Differences of opinion...

National Update7

The EBacc: the English Baccalaureate for age 16

National Update8

The rationale: the government believes that students should study a broad(er) range of

subjects to age 16

The EBacc is not a new qualification– will recognise achievement in a core of academic

subjects in rigorous GCSEs or iGCSEs: English, maths, sciences, a language and a humanities.

“not a new qualification...”

National Update9

Alison Wolf

“Our preoccupation with education as an engine of growth has not only narrowed the way we think about social policy. It

has narrowed – dismally and progressively – our vision of education itself.”

National Update10

Nick Gibb- concerned about children in schools in disadvantaged areas being dissuaded

from doing Ebacc subjects....

National Update11

“we intend to mark students achievements through a certificate…” – will they receive one ?

Which English will count?

English: GCSE in English, GCSE in English Language GCSE in Double Award in EnglishCambridge i-Cert in 1st language EnglishCIE legacy iGCSE in English- 1st language

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Which Maths will count?Maths: • GCSE in Maths• GCSE in Additional Mats• Achievement A*-C in one of Applications of Maths

or Methods in

Maths

Cambridge iCert in Maths and CIE legacy iGCSE in Maths

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Which Sciences will count?

A*-C in 2 of biology, chemistry and physics, or 2 CIE iGCSEs in these subjects

A*-C in Science or Additional Science GCSE

A*-A* -CC in Science GCSE double award

National Update

Which languages will count?

GCSEs

modern foreign languages including Welsh and Welsh as a second language

Latin, Greek, Biblical Hebrew,

Cambridge International Cert in French, Greek and Hindi as 2nd language

CIE legacy iGCSE in French, Greek and Hindi as a 2nd language

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Humanities subjects:

GCSEs• History• Ancient history• Geography

• Cambridge International Certificate in History• Cambridge International Certificate in

Geography• CIE legacy iGCSE in history and geography

National Update

Will the definition of the EBacc change in 2011?

“We will review the precise definition of the EBacc for the 2011 tables, but would not expect to remove any of the qualifications identified for the 2010 tables...”

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it is a government initiative to encourage schools in England to

promote specific academic subjects to 16 and another tool

for measuring performance

National Update18

The Importance of TeachingSchools White Paper 2010

• a refocus on ‘traditional subject knowledge’• Giving teachers ‘the opportunity to deepen

their subject knowledge and renew the passion that brought them into the classroom’.

National Update19

OFSTED

• Christine Gilbert• May 2011 SSAT event

National Update20

Achievement: inspectors will evaluate How well pupils learn in a range of subjects and their progress

How competently pupils read and write and their progress

How competent pupils are in mathematics and their progress

How well gaps are narrowing between the performance of different

groups

Standards attained, including those in reading, writing and

mathematics

How well disabled pupils and those with SEN have achieved since

joining the school

and in primary schools

Pupils’ attainment in reading by the age of 6 and by the time they leave

school

Further information if needed

“core knowledge” debate...

HirschWhat is the important core

knowledge in your subject ?

National Update23

Education select committeeEbacc just one “among many

more” accountability measures

National Update24

Subject Associations

• Winners and losers ?• Support and guidance ?• Consultation • Evidence to Select Committe

e• Joint GCSE ?

National Update25

Awarding bodies...

National Update26

The story from your school• Anger?

• Resignation?• Challenge?• Support / validation ?•Challenges/issues•Advice/current practice

National Update

Discussion questions

• Are you staffed to teach the Ebacc – has that created challenges for you ?

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Discussion questions

• How will the EBacc change your options for GCSE students?

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Art ?Music?

Drama ?

D&T ?

Discussion questions

• What impact will the EBacc have on your KS3 curriculum?

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Discussion questions

• What impact will the EBacc have on other aspects of teaching and learning at your school?

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