What Is the EBacc? The English Baccalaureate Explained for Parents

The English Baccalaureate — or EBacc — is not a separate qualification. It is a government performance measure that records how many students study GCSEs in five core subject areas: English, maths, science, a humanities subject, and a language. Schools are assessed against it; students who take the full combination are said to "achieve" the EBacc if they pass all five pillars.

What exactly is the EBacc?

The EBacc was introduced by the DfE in 2010 as a way of measuring the academic breadth of the GCSE choices that secondary schools offer and that students take. It is reported in school performance tables and Ofsted inspections. Schools in England with a high proportion of students studying the EBacc combination are seen as offering a broad, academically rigorous Key Stage 4 curriculum.

The DfE's ambition, stated in its consultation "EBacc: Getting the Balance Right" (gov.uk/government/publications/ebacc-getting-the-balance-right), is for 90% of Year 10 students across England to be studying the EBacc combination by 2025. Progress toward that ambition has been slower than planned.

The EBacc is not:

A separate GCSE or qualification — there is no EBacc certificate

Compulsory for students — no student must take it

A guarantee of sixth-form or university entry — universities assess specific grades, not the EBacc label

Relevant to independent schools, which are not required to use state school performance measures

Which subjects are in the EBacc?

The EBacc covers five subject pillars. A student "achieves" the EBacc by taking and passing a GCSE in each pillar.

Pillar | Qualifying subjects
English | English Language AND English Literature (both required)
Maths | GCSE Mathematics
Sciences | At least two of: Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Triple Science) OR Combined Science (counts as two)
Humanities | GCSE History OR GCSE Geography (one qualifies; both counts once)
Languages | Any modern foreign language (French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, etc.) OR ancient language (Latin, Classical Greek, Ancient Hebrew)

Students who take GCSE Art, Music, Drama, Design and Technology, Business Studies, or Computer Science as their optional subjects are not in the EBacc combination — though they may still be taking excellent GCSEs with strong career relevance.

Does my child have to take the EBacc subjects?

No. The EBacc is a school performance measure, not a requirement for individual students. No student is compelled by law or by any examination body to study the EBacc combination.

However, many schools actively steer students toward it — through their options blocks (which may group non-EBacc options together), through teacher advice, and through the options evenings that frame the humanities and language choice as the "expected" path. It is worth understanding this context when you attend your child's Year 9 options evening.

What are the arguments for taking the EBacc combination?

Breadth and recognition: The EBacc combination is widely recognised by sixth forms, Russell Group universities, and competitive employers as evidence of a broad academic foundation. Demonstrating GCSE-level competence in a language, a humanity, and the sciences alongside English and maths signals academic versatility.

Keeping options open: A student who drops languages and humanities at GCSE may find some A-level choices more difficult — not impossible, but harder without the prior knowledge. Studying History or Geography GCSE makes A-level History or Geography more manageable. Similarly, a GCSE language is often the prerequisite for A-level study of that language.

School pressure: Because the EBacc is a school performance metric, some schools are reluctant to accommodate options that fall outside it. Understanding this is not an argument for or against the EBacc itself, but it does explain the advice your child may receive.

What are the arguments against insisting on the EBacc?

Genuine interests matter: Research on motivation and academic performance consistently shows that students perform better in subjects they find genuinely engaging. A student who is passionate about Art or Music and dreads the idea of History GCSE may perform worse across all subjects if forced into an EBacc combination against their inclinations.

Career relevance varies: For students whose interests point toward creative, technical, or vocational careers, the EBacc combination may not be the most useful set of GCSEs. An aspiring software engineer may benefit more from Computer Science than from a second humanities; a student interested in fashion or architecture has good reason to include Art.

Languages are genuinely hard: GCSE Modern Foreign Languages are widely regarded as among the most demanding GCSEs, with grade distributions that make them more difficult to achieve high marks in than equivalent subjects. A student who dislikes languages and finds them very difficult may be better off without them if the trade-off is a lower overall grade profile.

EBacc vs non-EBacc: what sixth forms and universities actually look at

Sixth-form colleges and A-level providers look primarily at individual GCSE grades, not at whether the combination constitutes an EBacc. A student with grade 7s and 8s in their chosen GCSEs — EBacc or not — is a stronger applicant than one with grade 4s and 5s in the EBacc combination.

Universities look at A-level grades for most degree programmes, not GCSE combinations. The exceptions are subjects with specific GCSE prerequisites (medicine, for example, typically requires GCSE science grades at 6 or above; engineering commonly requires GCSE maths at 6 or above). Researching the specific requirements for any career or degree your child is considering is more useful than defaulting to the EBacc framework.

How does the EBacc affect school options evenings?

At Year 9 options evenings, many state schools will encourage — sometimes strongly — the EBacc combination. Their options blocks are often designed with it in mind. It is worth:

Asking the school explicitly how their option blocks relate to the EBacc

Understanding which subjects compete for the same block slot

Asking whether a student who does not take the humanities or language option is at any disadvantage in that school's setting

Making the choices on the basis of your child's interests, strengths, and career direction — not solely on the basis of the school's performance reporting incentives

Frequently asked questions

Is the EBacc the same as the GCSE?

No. GCSEs are the qualifications students sit and receive grades in. The EBacc is a government performance measure that describes a particular combination of GCSEs. A student sits GCSEs; they may or may not be sitting the EBacc combination. If they pass the five EBacc pillars, they are said to have achieved the EBacc, but the certificates they receive are individual GCSE certificates, not an EBacc certificate.

Do schools have to offer the EBacc?

State schools in England are expected to offer the EBacc combination and are assessed against it in performance tables and Ofsted inspections. Most schools do offer all five pillars. The DfE's target of 90% student uptake has not been met nationally, but schools generally feel pressure to make the EBacc accessible to their students.

Does not doing the EBacc close doors for my child?

Rarely, and usually not in the way parents fear. Not taking a language GCSE does not bar a student from most careers or A-level choices. Not taking a humanities GCSE means they cannot take those A-levels at schools that require relevant GCSE backgrounds — but most good sixth forms assess suitability through a combination of GCSE grades and interview, not the EBacc label. The specific grades matter far more than whether the combination was EBacc.

What language counts for the EBacc?

Any modern foreign language (French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese, Urdu, and others offered by UK exam boards) counts for the EBacc languages pillar. Ancient languages (Latin, Ancient Greek, Ancient Hebrew) also count. British Sign Language does not currently count.

For curriculum support across EBacc subjects at KS3 and GCSE, see aitutors.me.