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Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:56 pm
by nat47
If there are no arts subjects in Ebacc, will state schools be able to afford teachers in music, art, drama, dance? Won't this kill off extra-curricular activities too?

If there's no teaching in these subjects at GCSE, will students be less likely to choose them at A level?

Will students choose art or music at A level anyway (not to mention economics, politics and government, philosophy, RS, psychology, sports studies, theatre studies, art history....)if these are not deemed "facilitating subjects" by the Russell Group?

Will private schools with an eye on league tables also sideline the arts (even though they would be able to afford them) if league tables are going to be based on AAB grades in "facilitating subjects"?

Westminster School sends more children to Oxbridge - approx 50% - (let alone Russell Group universities) than any other school, yet apparently only 38% of their Y13 took "facilitating subjects". Surely more sensible to grade schools according to percentage going to Russell Group universities?

For those of you interested in Tiffin Boys, 44% got AAB in "facilitating subjects" though 85% went to Russell Group universities. But many parents will tell you that one of the best things about the school is its commitment to extra-curricular activies and the outstanding level of its arts education, especially music, with several boys going onto Oxbridge as choral scholars year after year. Art, dance and drama also thrive at Tiffin. How will this wonderful extra curricular life of the school manage to survive Gove's changes if arts subjects are squeezed out of the curriculum so there's no money for arts teachers?

And what about Richmond secondary schools that only go up to 16. How will the new Ebacc affect them with regard to arts and sport both in the curriculum and outside?

Any teachers out there with views?

Re: Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:56 pm
by TiffinGirls
If that question is applied to Tiffin Girls', then I think the answer is "no". Visual arts, drama and music especially seem to thrive. If the girls do 11 or so GCSE level exams I think there will always be room for some arts subjects. Most parents are sensible enough to realise that not all subjects need to be "facilitating". In fact there is some advantage for potential medical applicants to do music. My daughter would have loved to have done Govt and Politics or Sociology but they are not offered at Tiffin Girls' for GCSE - nothing to do with the Ebacc.

By the way I am no fan of Gove. He visited my younger child's school and went into her class with his wife when viewing schools for his son - special tour from the fawning Head. I would be horrified if he turned up as a fellow parent in September, urghh! Though, perhaps it might do him good for his children to be on the receiving end of his "improvements".

Re: Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:25 pm
by coolmummm
Hi

I'm new to this forum and adding a question, probably slightly off the thread.

What does it mean by saying Tiffin girls is a specialist school in technology and languages rather than sciences?

Many thanks

Re: Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:52 pm
by TiffinGirls
At one point (don't know if it still applies) schools got extra funding for specialisms. I think at one time TGS had maths as well. For DD it meant all the girls had to take an IT subject for GCSE as well as the other compulsory subjects (English, maths, triple sciences, MFL, humanities etc). The IT subject is no longer compulsory. They did offer basic IT classes for parents as well - not sure of the connection.

They also fast tracked some girls onto AS in French, IT and maths - I assume that still goes on but unsure if that was because of the specialisms or they took the specialisms because they were good at teaching those subjects.

For what it's worth the music provision at TGS is excellent and the art teaching and standard the girls achieve in fine arts is also excellent.

Re: Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:59 pm
by TiffinGirls
Should also mention that all GCSE students do Triple Science and it is a requirement to do sciences in the Sixth Form for girls joining at that point. I believe this is not the case at the boys' school.

I don't particularly think the sciences dominate to the detriment of arts/classics or anything else. My DD is doing a mixture at A' level and the majority of classes are well taught and many candidates go on to get top grades. I think all subjects are equally important at the school.

Re: Will Gove's changes kill off arts in state schools?

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:04 pm
by coolmummm
Many thanks TiffinGirls, that was very helpful.