Archived decisions

Contact: Melanie Saunders 01962 846364 [email protected]

What are Diplomas?

Diplomas are a new type of qualification which will be available to young people between the ages of 14 and 19 from September 2008. They are not vocational but are focussed on one of seventeen employment sectors. They combine theoretical and practical learning as it is applied to a specific field of work.

As well as sector specific learning, Diplomas students will also study functional English, mathematics and ICT. The content of the functional skills is intended to be common with the new GCSE specifications for these subject areas. Each diploma student must also complete a diploma project (an independent, investigative piece of work) and demonstrate a range of personal, learning and thinking skills. The DCSF has expressed the hope that diplomas will, in the fullness of time, replace GCSEs and A-Levels and become, "the qualification of choice," for young people.

Why Diplomas?

The diploma is intended to offer a broad study programme available at four levels and to provide an alternative qualifications route for young people. Diplomas will be available at four levels, these are :-

· Foundation - equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades D-G

· Higher - equivalent to 7 GCSEs at grades A*-C

· Progression - equivalent to 2.5 A Levels

· Advanced - Equivalent to 3.5 A Levels

Employers have been directly involved in the design and development of diplomas through sector skills councils and they are intended to provide a route to higher education and skilled employment. As well as applied content, teaching and learning styles are expected to take account of learner needs and be tailored to individual strengths. A significant number of universities have already indicated that they will welcome students who have achieved success through diplomas onto degree courses.

Diplomas will be rolled out in waves with five available from 2008 and all seventeen from 2011. By 2013 there is a statutory entitlement for all 14-19 year olds to have access to all of the diplomas. This will be key to implementing the raising of the participation age to 17 from 2013 and 18 from 2015 for all young people.

What is happening in Hampshire?

In Hampshire there are nine 14-19 consortia consisting of groups of schools, colleges and training providers working across travel to learn areas. In order to offer diplomas, consortia have had to put together bids demonstrating that they have sufficiently advanced partnership working in place to enable them to deliver the qualifications at a high standard.

There have been two rounds of these "Gateway" applications so far which have resulted in three of the Hampshire consortia delivering diplomas from September 2008, eight delivering from 2009 and all nine delivering from 2010, providing certain conditions are met.

Gateway applications are graded in the following way:-

1 - Successful application for delivery in the first available year

2 - For delivery in the first available year providing certain conditions are met within the next three months.

3 - For delivery in the following year providing certain conditions are met within the next nine months.

4 - An unsuccessful application

From 2008, three diploma lines will be available in Hampshire and from 2009, nine of a possible ten will be available. This is a very successful outcome with more lines available in Hampshire than in the majority of other authorities. Full details of which diploma lines will be available where are summarised in the attached table but the subject areas are as follows:-

Melanie Saunders

Extended Learning Manager