Vocational courses face shake-up

Just 70 vocational qualifications will count towards a school's GCSE performance in league tables in future - a cut from more than 3,000 under the current system.

The move is part of an attempt by the Government to stop schools encouraging youngsters to take qualifications that boost their league table position but do not help a pupil's prospects.

Ministers confirmed that just 125 vocational qualifications will be included from 2014. Of these, only 70 will count towards the main performance measure - the percentage of pupils getting at least five Cs at GCSE, including English and maths.

The other 55 will count in the tables, but will not contribute towards the main measure. Plans to slash the numbers of "equivalent" qualifications were first announced by ministers last year following Professor Alison Wolf's review of vocational education.

Under the current system, 3,175 vocational or "equivalent" courses count in the league tables, and some of these are multiple GCSEs. For example, a level 2 BTEC in horse care, one of the qualifications to be cut from the new style tables, is worth four GCSEs at grade C or higher.

Student Sean Jagelman learns bricklaying as
part of the vocational programme of
courses at West Kent College

The new system will see every qualification count equally in the tables. Among the others that will not be included in the future are the Level 1 certificate in practical office skills, the BTEC level 2 extended certificate in fish husbandry and the level 2 certificate in nail technology services.

Qualifications that will still count include many of the diplomas introduced by the last government and a number of BTECs and OCR Nationals covering areas such as performing arts, sport, health and social care, media, music and engineering.

Some of the courses which will count in the tables are still subject to further review because they are either too new, or still have to demonstrate they have all the characteristics needed to be included, said the Department for Education.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: "The weaknesses in our current system were laid bare by Professor Wolf's incisive and far-reaching review. The changes we are making will take time but will transform the lives of young people.

"For too long the system has been devalued by attempts to pretend that all qualifications are intrinsically the same. Young people have taken courses that have led nowhere."

107 secondary schools miss targets

Thousands of teenagers are still failing to get good GCSE results after being let down by under-performing schools, new league tables suggest.

Newly published statistics show that 107 secondaries in England did not reach tough Government targets which ministers say are intended to raise standards.

Schools that fail to meet the strict thresholds have been warned they are at risk of closure or being taken over if they do not improve.

The tables also suggest that hundreds of secondaries are failing their poorest pupils. Just a third (33.9%) of teenagers from disadvantaged homes gained at least five C's in their GCSEs last summer, including English and maths, compared to 58.2% of all pupils attending state schools.

And while nearly one in six pupils nationally achieved the Government's new English Baccalaureate, the same was true for only one in 25 poor youngsters, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

To gain the EBacc, pupils must score at least a C in English, maths, science, history or geography and a language at GCSE.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "We should have high expectations for all children regardless of their circumstances. Today's figures reveal a shocking waste of talent in many schools across the country. All too often, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds aren't given the same opportunities as their peers. But there are great examples of schools achieving the best for their disadvantaged pupils. If they can get it right, then so can all schools.

Statistics show 107 secondaries in England did not reach tough Government targets

"Thanks to the introduction of the EBacc, we are opening up opportunities for all pupils to study the core academic subjects that employers and universities demand. And with the Pupil Premium we are specifically targeting funding at disadvantaged pupils, so that schools have the resources they need to make a difference."

The tables show that overall, 107 secondary schools were below the Government's target in 2011. This means that less than 35% of their pupils got at least five C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, and fewer youngsters made two levels of progress between 11 and 16 than the national average in these two core subjects.

The league tables are based on GCSE, as well as A-level results, for 2011.