Through visits and my role as a governor, I have seen the fantastic work carried out by schools and colleges in Bath. I believe that every child in Britain should have access to equally great opportunities, and this means having access to study the key subjects that provide the knowledge and skills young people need to succeed and leave school ready for life in modern Britain. I am very pleased that Ministers want to see 90 per cent of children who started secondary school this year study these core subjects to GCSE level as part of the EBacc.
While the EBacc rightly focuses on the core academic skills that employers and higher education institutions value, pupils will still study a broad curriculum - the EBacc doesn't exclude or undermine other subjects such as arts. Indeed, since its introduction in 2012, the number of entries in arts subjects has risen by more than 5 per cent. In addition, key skills from these core subjects are important for broader study - for example, history and maths underpin economics; and the study of English links to drama.
The Government will be publishing EBacc data in order to reward and recognise schools' EBacc achievements. As well as publishing EBacc entry and attainment levels, the new Progress 8 measure will assess the progress pupils make across eight subjects, including five EBacc subjects and three other subjects which could include creative or vocational subjects. Focusing on performance across eight qualifications will incentivise schools to offer a broad and balanced curriculum.
With this said, I do also support subjects outside the EBacc. I know that Bath Studio School offers some excellent courses in photography, creative media and business, and therefore I support opt outs for University Training Colleges and Studio Schools.