Moseley School Parents & Community Association

BTECs & Vocational Courses - updated 11th May 2012

Goodbye and good riddance to Blunkett's BTECs

On the last day of January 2012, the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove announced the end of mickey mouse vocational courses and qualifications. 

Michael Gove: we must not limit young people academically

Thousands of 'dead end' courses axed from school tables

An end to qualifications that have no real value by Professor Alison Wolf

The Moseley School Parents and Community Association (MSPCA) welcomes this development because it means that Moseley School will be required to teach a traditional, rigorous and demanding curriculum that is valued by universities and employers alike. The MSPCA expects to see a drop in the number of complaints from frustrated parents about the school forcing their children to study courses that are not demanding nor even recognised by universities as being suitable for admission.

Schools serving pupils from deprived communities promote vocational courses because they are easy to teach and help to boost a school's position in league tables without actually improving the standard and quality of teaching and learning. For instance, in 2011, 44% of pupils at Moseley School passed five GCSE subjects including English and Maths at grades A*-C. However, if the vocational courses are excluded from this measure then the actual pass rate is only 34%. This is a quite a low pass rate compared to similar community schools in Birmingham that serve pupils from deprived areas, which have pass rates in excess of 50%.

Schools that have been promoting vocational qualifications at the expense of a traditional curriculum will now come under increased scrutiny by this change in government policy e.g. Kings Norton High (7%), Frankley (17%), North Birmingham Academy (17%), St. Alban's Academy (17%), Castle Vale (22%), etc. 

The Cabinet Member for Education in Birmingham, Cllr. Les Lawrence often claims that Birmingham is making remarkable progress compared to other (low-performing) core cities. Parents should ask him how well Birmingham is performing with its neighbour, Solihull when vocational qualifications are excluded from the league tables. After all, our children are in stiff competition for jobs with children from nearby towns and cities, not with children living in distant parts of the country.

P.S. Tim Boyes wanted to promote Diplomas. What a disaster that would have been for the pupils of Moseley School.