Theresa May has welcomed the news that more students in the Maidenhead area are studying the core academic subjects which will help them to get the best start in life. New figures show that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is encouraging more young people in the local area to study core academic subjects. The new EBacc is awarded when students achieve A* to C in five core GCSE subjects including English, Maths, Science, Humanities and Languages – the courses that universities and employers value the most.

There has been a 50% increase in students in the Maidenhead constituency taking a GCSE in these subjects compared to 2010, meaning they are gaining the skills they need to get a good job or go on to further study.

The EBacc is part of the Government’s commitment to deliver the best schools and skills for young people. By encouraging schools to enrol pupils for GCSEs in these core academic subjects, and restoring rigour to the National Curriculum, the Government is raising standards and making GCSEs more ambitious, putting them on a par with the best in the world and preparing our pupils for life in modern Britain.

Commenting, Theresa said: “It is great that there has been a 50% increase in Maidenhead students studying the core academic subjects that universities and employers value the most. The Government’s actions to drive up standards in schools are having a positive effect in Maidenhead. We need good quality, rigorous exams to help students gain the skills they need to succeed. This is crucial to giving young people the best start in life and ensuring that they are not held back by low expectations.”

ENDS

Contact Theresa May:

Office: 020 7219 5206

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.tmay.co.uk

Notes to Editors

1. The English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) is a performance measure, rather than a qualification, awarded when students achieve A* to C in five core GCSE subjects:

o English or English Language and English Literature (either at grade C or above)

o Maths

o Science - two A* to C grades in either Science A or Science B plus Additional Science or two out of three of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Computer Science.

o Humanities, i.e. Geography, History

o Languages, i.e. French, German, Spanish, Polish, Urdu, Mandarin.

2. The English Baccalaureate has been brought in to encourage the take-up of core academic subjects. School league tables now record the proportion of pupils who achieve the EBacc, so that parents can see which schools are providing a fully rounded academic education.

3. In the Maidenhead constituency, 53.8% of students entered the EBacc in 2014 compared to 35.7% in 2010 – an increase of 50.7% (figures from the Department for Education).