Prominent figures in the arts are supporting the ‘Bacc for the Future’ campaign.

The campaign believes that the take-up of creative qualifications will continue to fall if current plans for the EBacc performance measure go ahead.

In a letter to The Times, supporters urge ministers to think again about the list of GCSE subjects included in the EBacc - English, mathematics, sciences, history or geography, and a language. “The arts would be squeezed out of schools altogether” says the letter, going on to point out the benefits of the creative industries to the UK’s economy.

As reported in November’s OCR Policy Briefing, the DfE is currently consulting on how the government will fulfil its manifesto commitment that the vast majority of pupils currently in year 7 should, in five years’ time, be entered for the EBacc at GCSE.