EBacc limiting pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, review chief says

Independent

15-03-2025

A Government performance measure for schools in England may be 'limiting' pupils' access to vocational and arts subjects, the lead of an independent review of curriculum and assessment said.
Professor Becky Francis, chairwoman of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, said evidence suggests the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure 'may constrain choices' for secondary school pupils.
Her comments follow calls from the education sector for the EBacc – a government measure which aims to ensure pupils take English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language at GCSE – to be scrapped.
Addressing the annual conference of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) in Liverpool, Prof Francis set out the areas of the curriculum that the panel felt needed 'further attention'.
She suggested there has been 'a trade-off between breadth and depth' in the existing curriculum offer and she added that evidence suggests the EBacc is 'impacting students' engagement and achievement'.
The EBacc – a performance measure of schools which focuses on five subjects at GCSE – was introduced in 2010 under former Conservative education secretary Michael Gove.
Prof Francis said existing national assessments and qualifications – including Sats, GCSEs, A-levels and T-levels – were 'broadly working well.'
In July, the Labour Government announced that Prof Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), would lead their independent curriculum and assessment review.
In a speech to hundreds of schools and college leaders on Saturday, Prof Francis said it was right that the national curriculum was 'refreshed' to ensure it remains 'cutting edge and fit for purpose'.
She said: 'But while we have a broad offer, evidence suggests a trade-off between breadth and depth which can make it harder for pupils to master a subject fully.
'We've identified that some features of the current system make the delivery of this broad and balanced curriculum challenging.
'Responses to the call for evidence, and advocates for some subjects, suggests that the EBacc may constrain choices, impacting students' engagement and achievement, and limiting access to, and the time available for, vocational and arts subjects.'
Prof Francis highlighted a slide during her speech which suggested that teaching time for some subjects – including the arts, design and technology and computing and ICT – had reduced at Key Stage 4.
She said: 'We'll analyse the evidence and assess the place of performance measures within the wider accountability framework, looking at the impact on young people's choices and outcomes and the impact on institutional behaviours.'
In September, Prof Francis launched a call for evidence – an eight-week consultation – seeking views on the curriculum and assessment system.
Prof Francis said attention was needed in the curriculum to address the 'challenges' of the modern world – such as the rise of artificial intelligence.
She added: 'Global, social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future.
'Rapid social, environmental and technical change necessitates that the curriculum keeps pace, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and on sustainability and climate science.
'We know that many schools already teach such areas of knowledge within curriculum subjects, so we will map existing coverage and ensure that gaps are addressed and content brought up to date.'
On Saturday, Prof Francis said the review's interim report would be ready 'exceedingly soon'.
The final report from the independent curriculum and assessment review is due in the autumn.