Access keys Skip navigation
4. Diplomas
Setting the agenda — the 14–19 Education and Skills White Paper
The 2005 White Paper 14–19 Education and Skills announced major changes to the curriculum and to its delivery.
The reforms, which some people — including government ministers — describe as the most significant and radical reforms for many decades, aim to develop a system of 14–19 education which prepares all young people for success in life. The reformed system will be configured even more around the needs of young people, making sure that all are able to stay in learning beyond the age of 16 and have the chance to achieve.
What the reforms are designed to achieve
- To tackle low post-16 participation — increasing it at age 17 from 59% to 90% by 2015.
- To re-motivate disengaged learners.
- To ensure that, before leaving education, every young person masters functional English and Mathematics.
- To stretch all young people and help universities to differentiate between the best candidates.
- To improve vocational education by introducing new specialised lines of learning leading to Diplomas in 14 broad sector areas.
Excellence in teaching and learning is the key to achieving these reforms!
14–19 Gateway
The Department of Education and Skills (DfES) 14–19 Gateway contains up-to-date information about the implementation of these reforms.
Your staff will increase in confidence and skill and that will feed through to the learners. You’ll have better inspection results and better progression routes for your learners. It’s a really good investment.
Paul Fletcher, Assistant Director, Rathbone
Back to Meeting wider targets
Back to top
Diplomas
The facts
Diplomas, the centrepiece of the 14–19 reforms, are exciting and innovative new qualifications for 14–19-year-olds. Created to provide a real alternative to more traditional education and qualifications, they are the most important change to the country’s education system since the introduction of GCSEs.
Fourteen new Diploma lines, closely aligned to the major occupational sectors of the economy, are under development and will be phased in between 2008 and 2010.
| Diploma lines |
First introduced |
Engineering
Society, Health and Development
(Health and Social Care)
ICT
Creative and Media
Construction and the Built Environment
|
September 2008 |
Land-based and Environment
Manufacturing
Hair and Beauty
Business Administration and Finance
Hospitality and Catering
|
September 2009 |
Public Services
Sport and Leisure
Retail
Travel and Tourism
|
September 2010 |
The framework
Each Diploma will be made up of three core elements plus work experience and a project.
Diploma framework
| Generic learning |
Principal learning |
Additional specialist learning |
Work experience |
| Functional skills; personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS) |
Sector-related skills and knowledge; 50% practical skills used in workplace |
Range of additional options endorsed by employers |
|
| GCSE maths, English, ICT containing functional skills units |
GCSEs, A levels, knowledge components from VRQs |
Skills development components from VRQs/NVQs |
Project assignment |
The QCA has published detailed information on the structure of Diplomas.
The delivery
The Diplomas will mean a new way of delivering the curriculum. Developed by employers, schools, colleges and universities, they are designed to help young people realise their potential and gain knowledge and skills in a ‘real world’ environment. They will involve much more application in work-based contexts.
Diplomas will be available at three levels in order to offer a range wide enough to encourage more young people to stay on in education and training while at the same time appealing to gifted and talented learners and those preparing for entry to university courses. By 2013 every young person will be entitled to work towards any one of these 14 Diplomas at any of the three levels.
No single institution will be able to deliver the full range, so collaboration between organisations will be essential. Grouped together in 14–19 Area Partnerships, organisations are putting together their plans and entering a ‘gateway’ process. Rigorous standards will be applied in assessing the capacity of the consortia and to assure quality. Regular progress checks will ensure that consortia maintain consistently high standards. Overall, the introduction of the Diplomas is probably both the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge faced by secondary and post-16 education for many years.
We were inspected a year ago and got grade 4s. We were re-inspected recently where we pushed those grades up to grade 2, and the resource packs and the subject learning coaches have really helped and supported us in that process.
Simon Healey, Chief Executive, CYA Shape Training
Back to Meeting wider targets
Back to top
Challenges for managers
The introduction of new Diplomas means extra challenges for the leaders and managers in colleges, schools and work-based learning providers, who will all need to address the massive task of managing curriculum change alongside the parallel challenges of developing, training and motivating staff. Although there will be national training provision to support teachers and trainers, those organisations that have Subject Learning Coaches who are making effective use of the new resources will have a great head start. The National Teaching and Learning Change Programme and your Subject Learning Coaches can provide invaluable support in making your organisation one of those that’s ahead of the rest.
The impact of having a dedicated Subject Learning Coach has been immediately apparent. The providers’ Subject Learning Coaches are working with our dedicated Subject Learning Coach in facilitating cross-partnership training sessions – and that’s contributing to raising the standards of teaching, training and learning. There is definitely improved co-operation between providers within the partnership. There is now a spirit of sharing and trust during jointly delivered training events plus 1:1 sessions. The providers feel very supported by the lead partner.
Judith Horsefield, Partnership Manager,
Huddersfield Technical College
Back to Meeting wider targets
Back to top
How can NTLCP help you?
Excellent teaching and learning will underpin the success of the 14–19 reforms and the new Diplomas. Your Subject Learning Coaches have been trained to work with their colleagues to ensure that each member of your delivery team can use a range of differentiated teaching and learning approaches suited to the wide variety of levels and learning styles of their learners. Coaching motivates staff to rise to the challenge of change.
It’s no coincidence that the subject lines of the Diplomas and the subject areas within the National Teaching and Learning Change Programme correspond. What this means in practice is that you already have the opportunity to benefit from having a trained Subject Learning Coach in four of the first Diploma subjects.
The NTLCP and the Diploma Support Programme
The Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) is working with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and the Secondary National Strategy to develop and commission support programmes for teachers, tutors and trainers to support the 14-19 curriculum reforms, including the new Diplomas and functional skills.
The Diploma Support Programme will directly support the implementation of the Diplomas and focus on: staff understanding of the Diplomas, how they will operate and models of implementation; and a comprehensive set of guidance resources, with training and network support for staff delivering specific aspects of the Diplomas.
The Diploma Support Programme, working with the Diploma Development Partnerships (DDPs) are working closely with the NTLCP contractors to avoid duplication and ensure coherence and consistency.
Q: Do both the National Teaching and Learning Change Programme and the 14-19 Diploma Support Programme provide support for the new Diplomas?
A: Only the Diploma Support Programme directly supports the introduction of the new Diplomas. The focus of the NTLCP is on improving the quality of teaching, training and learning through the coaching model.
Q: Will the programmes be producing resources for the Diplomas?
A: The Diploma Support Programme will be producing staff development resources to support the implementation of the new Diplomas. The NTLCP will be providing resources covering exemplars of good practice in teaching, training and learning in the same subjects - but the NTLCP won’t produce resources exclusively for the Diplomas.
Back to Meeting wider targets
Back to top
Proven impact
We know that subject-focused coaching and NTLCP resources have already produced some extremely successful results, supporting work with the least engaged young people as well as challenging and raising success rates across all types of learners.
In March 2006 a national survey of managers in the post-16 sector included a question about the managers’ perception of the impact of Subject Learning Coaches on learner outcomes. Even though NTLCP was then relatively new, the response was highly positive. Managers reported some or significant impact on learners in the following ways:
- learning behaviour — 60%
- learner retention — 41%
- learner achievement — 41%
- learner satisfaction — 54%.
It’s helped us drive change and drive up quality. The investment is well worth it because it gives you contented staff, more confident staff, more skilful staff. They (the Subject Learning Coaches) are getting a skill that they bring back into the college. Their development develops the organisation.
Wally Brown CBE, Principal,
Liverpool Community College
Back to Meeting wider targets
Back to top