HEADTEACHERS have criticised the Government for releasing statistics showing how many pupils attained the English Baccalaureate.

The qualification is achieved if students gain A* to C in five core GCSE subjects – maths, English, science, a foreign language and history or geography.

But schools were not told until after the results were in that the figures would be published. It has resulted in seven of 11 Colchester secondary schools recording a pass rate under 20 per cent.

Thurstable, in Tiptree, had only 2 per cent of pupils taking all five subjects, compared to Colchester Royal Grammar, where 78 per cent reached the criteria.

Only 7 per cent of Philip Morant pupils qualified and headteacher Sue Cowans criticised the timing of the figures’ release.

She said: “We were not preparing students for the baccalaureate last year, so it was odd they suddenly gave us these figures.”

Lou Scott, 17, St Clare Road, Lexden, took her GCSEs at Philip Morant last year, before studying for A-levels at Colchester Sixth Form College. She was not aware of the baccalaureate and did not qualify because she chose two languages instead of a humanities subject.

She said: “I had never done well at history or geography, and I knew what I wanted to do.

“It’s unfair that I didn’t get the certificate just because I knew what I wanted to do. I had friends who didn’t know what they wanted to do, so doing a broad range was good for them. But you’re penalising people who know what they want. None of my friends has heard of the baccalaureate.”

Gillian Marshall, headteacher at Colchester County High School for Girls, is frustrated the criteria was applied retrospectively. The school recorded a 76 per cent pass rate for the baccalaureate.

Mrs Marshall said: “I had girls who were worried about not having the certificate.

“Some schools might have a more vocational curriculum appropriate for the students. If you have a student struggling with English, why would you make them do French?

“I am struggling to work through and find out what the baccalaureate can be used for. Is it something universities will ask for?”

The University of Essex’s head of admissions, Joanne Tallentire, said: “We are keeping this area of Government policy under review. But, at this early stage, we have not decided whether the baccalaureate will be taken into account in relation to entrance requirements.”

So what is behind Government thinking? Whitehall officials want to place greater value on more traditional subjects.

A Department for Education spokesman said the baccalaureate helped parents see which schools offered the core subjects.

She said: “The baccalaureate is about making sure all children, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, can access core academic subjects.

“It’s down to heads and teachers to decide how best to teach their pupils. We have opened up the league tables, so parents can, for the first time, get the full facts about schools in their area.”