What is the EBacc?
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a performance measure used by schools in England to demonstrate academic success. The idea was simple: by focusing on core academic subjects, students would have better chances of getting into university and securing careers.
To meet it’s requirements, students must take GCSEs in a specific set of subjects: English, Maths, Sciences (either Combined Science or three separate sciences: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), a language (modern or ancient), and a humanities (either History or Geography). Grades in these are converted into points (e.g., Grade 9 = 9 points, Grade 1 = 1 point), and the average of these points becomes their EBacc score.
The EBacc is closely linked to another performance measure called Progress 8, which tracks how much progress students make between the end of primary school and the end of Key Stage 4 (around age 16). Progress 8 places significant weight on EBacc subjects, meaning schools are often incentivised to encourage students to choose these subjects to boost their overall score. The previous government set ambitious targets, aiming for 75% of students to study the EBacc by 2022 and 90% by 2025.
The Impact
Since the EBacc does not include any creative or arts subjects, schools under pressure to improve their scores have reduced classes like music, drama, art, and design technology. This often means that students with a passion or talent for the arts find their options increasingly limited. The focus on EBacc subjects also means that students are often encouraged to select them to achieve a higher score, which in turn reduces the uptake of creative courses.
By aiming to establish a more academic pathway, it has, in practice, pushed creative (and many other) subjects to the margins, leading to a noticeable decline in education diversity across the country. This is highlighted by data from the CLA Annual Report Card 2024, which shows the extent of the impact on the arts.
Since the introduction of the EBacc, there has been a 42% decline in Arts GCSE entries. In some schools, this decline has been so significant that certain arts subjects are no longer offered at GCSE level. A-Level entries are also affected, with a 21% decrease in Arts subjects since 2010. This downward trend continues beyond secondary education, with the number of students studying for undergraduate degrees in Creative Arts and Design falling by 6% over the same period.
The reduction in arts education is not just seen in student choices but also in availability. Polling separate to the CLA Report found that 90% of students would like to take at least one creative subject at GCSE, but funding constraints in state schools make this difficult.
Between 2011/12 and 2022/23, there was a 21% decrease in teaching hours dedicated to arts subjects (excluding Dance, for which data was unavailable). At the same time, the number of arts teachers fell by 14%, indicating that schools are also cutting back on specialist staff.
Beyond arts education, the report highlighted other challenges within the current system. The socio-economic gap for educational attainment remains significant, with young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) making less progress than their peers.
Meanwhile, the rise of AI and the need for digital literacy are not being adequately addressed. The continued lack of diversity in the curriculum has also been proved as disempowering and demotivating for students who do not see themselves reflected in what they learn, or are encountering negative portrayals when these do appear.
