Pupils at BRIT School in South London have the chance to sing, dance and perform more than most. But no one at the specialist performing arts colleges is able to do GCSE science.
Instead the school offers a science BTec, which is more practical, hands-on and, according to critics, easier to pass.
However, many heads argue that it is a robust vocational qualification. Nick Williams, the principal, said that the Btec in science was a good fit for his pupils.
“We were not interested in BTecs as a quicker route to getting to the top of the league tables,” he said. “We are interested in looking at qualifications on the basis of the students that we teach.”
The school is one of a few across the country where no one takes science GCSE, according to figures released by the Government, which wants to shame head teachers who enter pupils for “soft subjects”.
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Ministers have now made science GCSE a necessity for their new English Baccalaureate.
Mr Williams has as a result decided to ditch the BTec in science. “We are looking to make sure that students won’t be disadvantaged by coming to the BRIT school in terms of their ability to complete the English Baccalaureate,” he said. He added that shifting the goal posts was unhelpful. “If someone had told us five years ago that the BTec wouldn’t count of course we wouldn’t have done it.”