So what do you know about Diplomas? Are you going to be teaching them in September? Have you got any students signed up to take them? There still seems to be a great mystery surrounding these qualifications and many schools and colleges are worried about their introduction.

In the next three years there is a great wave of changes sweeping across schools in England and the other UK nations. In England the 14-19 reforms will see GCSE syllabuses revised to make them more relevant, A-levels streamlined with a new A* grade to distinguish the most able, and crucially, from this September, the introduction of the Diploma, a brand new qualification combining the academic and vocational.

Therefore from 2010, functional skills will become an essential element of teaching in English, mathematics, and ICT, and candidates will not be awarded top grade GCSE or Diplomas if they fail to achieve a benchmark score.

Why then the confusion and worry? Some believe the implementation of the Diplomas has been rushed and complicated. Many of the institutions involved believe information has not been distributed quickly enough and logically parents and students are still to be convinced that the Diploma is the right qualification. Schools and colleges will need to collaborate and also work with local businesses to fulfil all the criteria for the Diploma and students could take parts of the Diplomas at different institutions. Managing and gathering this work may be problematic for some institutions, and online portfolios may actually help here.

The Facts

1. 5 Diplomas will begin in Sept 2008 – Construction and Built Environment; Creative and Media; Engineering; Information Technology; and Society, Health and Development.
2. 12 more by 2011
3. Diplomas should take less than 2 years to complete and include subject based work, more general work, functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT, as well as work placement opportunities.
4. Starting in Sept. 2008, 96 different LAs will be piloting the first 5 qualifications with up to 20,000 students (down from 40K)
5. By 2013, every student will have an entitlement to sit any Diploma
6. In 2013, a full review of the entire system will happen
7. Diplomas can be awarded at different levels:
1. Foundation
2. Higher
3. Advanced & Progression
8. Diplomas are the equivalent to:
1. 4 – 6 GCSEs; and/or
2. 3 GCE A Levels

Want to know more?
There are various website to get more information – try these. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/
http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_5396.aspx
http://www.ukces.org.uk/default.aspx?page=2860
http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/