EBacc

New figures should be “a wake-up call to Government”, the founder of the Bacc for the Future campaign has said.

Sustaining a democratic and caring society

07 Jul 2016

Opinion

The EBacc debate in Westminster prompts Patrycja Kaszynska to reflect on the role of the arts as a force for political and civic engagement.

Schools Minister accused of using stats ‘selectively’ in EBacc debate

07 Jul 2016

A dispute over the number of pupils taking arts subjects at GCSE was at the heart of a House of Commons debate, with the Department for Education using figures which include students studying arts AS Levels in sixth forms.

Cross artform

Value of Design and Technology affirmed ahead of EBacc debate

30 Jun 2016

New research findings have cemented the necessity of supporting design in schools, following a 19,000 drop in GCSE design and technology entries since 2015.

EXCLUSIVE: Arts in schools plummets, new figures show

21 Jun 2016

The decline in the take-up of arts subjects at GCSE has increased five-fold over the past year, coinciding with a dramatic rise in young people studying EBacc subjects.

Protesters trigger EBacc debate in Parliament

14 Apr 2016

Reaching the milestone of 100,000 signatures means a petition calling for arts subjects to be included in the EBacc will now be considered for a Commons debate.

EBacc protestors push for Parliamentary debate

04 Mar 2016

If a petition to include the arts in the new English Baccalaureate can attract 100,000 signatures then the issue could be debated in the House of Commons.

Policy

Building the talent pipeline

Photo of Nicky Morgan and Nick Gibb at CIF event

16 Feb 2016

Feature

Creative subjects are essential to relieving the skills shortage in the UK job market, but they are being sidelined. Louise Jury explains how the Creative Industries Federation is making the case for arts education.

Policy

Art and design education “significantly eroded” in past five years

09 Feb 2016

State school art teachers blame the EBacc as young people are steered away from their subject, according to a new survey.

Arts leaders call for EBacc to be scrapped

08 Jan 2016

A letter published this week in The Times, signed by leading arts professionals, calls for the controversial English Baccalaureate to be dropped.

The right to a creative childhood

12 Nov 2015

Feature

As creative subjects are squeezed out of the curriculum, what can arts organisations do to ensure all children benefit from culture? Maggie Atkinson has some suggestions.

Fear for arts education as EBacc set to become compulsory

06 Nov 2015

A consultation is inviting views on the roll-out of the English Baccalaureate as the default for all GCSE pupils.

Policy

Drama and music traded for history and geography at GCSE

10 Sep 2015

Nicky Morgan defends her attitude to arts education

17 Jul 2015

Despite upholding the Government’s decision to exclude the arts from the compulsory EBacc, the Education Secretary has said the curriculum “cannot be complete” without the arts.

Heading towards the EBacc

02 Jul 2015

Feature

Arts professionals may be unanimous about the value of the arts in the curriculum, but what do schools think? Christy Romer spoke to four headteachers who gave a range of verdicts on controversial proposals to introduce a compulsory suite of qualifications for GCSE students that excludes arts subjects.

Guilty secrets

15 Jun 2015

Opinion

As the Government prepares to make the English Baccalaureate compulsory in the GCSE curriculum – with arts subjects victims of the “trade-off” – Liz Hill comes clean about her own inadequate education.

Music

Schools Minister makes “no apology” for sidelining the arts

Photo of man with head in his hands in classroom

12 Jun 2015

Nick Gibb has confirmed that the English Baccalaureate’s core subjects will be compulsory at GCSE, but arts subjects, Esperanto and den building will be excluded.