Claim: English Baccalaureate, a school performance indicator which measures students’ attainment, was criticized for widening the achievement gap for disadvantaged children instead of aiming for its original goal to switch children towards academic subjects.
Evidence: In England, the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a school performance indicator linked to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) results. It measures students' attainment by calculating an average score from specified subject grades. It then comments on the Sutton Trust findings that the measure widens the achievement gap for disadvantaged children. It notes that the original aim was to switch children towards academic subjects and this was partially achieved and schools had switched resources.