Diplomas are a vehicle for a shift in learning

“We are ready for a shift in learning – Diplomas offer a vehicle for this. It is a vehicle that is a juggernaut, but which does not need slowing but needs steering”
A quote from the letters page in the TES from Dr Barry Wratten, Headteacher of Churchill Community School in North Somerset.

Sort of sums it up very well really!

75% of schools offering Diplomas - really?

DCFS have said that nearly 75% of schools and 88% of colleges will offer the new diplomas in September.
Now that's a big number and in my experience, it seems to be a lot bigger (in schools) than I find on the ground!
It also doesn't check out with the stats on the excellent "Diploma Video" which quotes 40,000 learners across 1300 institutions.
I reckon that's about a third of secondary schools.

Mind it would be great if it was 75% of schools!

Diplomas are being made more complex

Every day on radio 4, ed balls seems to have something new to say about diplomas. Good to see the Government so committed!

In the Guardian today a good piece from Mike Baker:

To summarise, he says that the recommedations of the Tomlinson report that was rejected when Tony Blair was in charge seem now to be coming to fruition under Gordon Brown.

But the warning signs are there. There will be an election around 2010, just about the time of the real birtyh of diplomas and a porr reputaion and performance then could see a negative outcome to incorporating A levels into reforms come 2013.

And there may a change of Government of course ......

ANd that's without the practical problems of implemtation, work experience, timetabling.

The final paragraph is
"The desire to give diplomas academic responsibility is understandable in view of the british tendency to devalue vocational qualifications. But that desire is the cause of the confusion, complexity and ambivalence that could scupper this much needed reform."

The New Curriculum

So the announcement this week of major revisions to the GCSE programme as well as the extended Diplomas.
And another mailing from KSSP reminding me that Key Skills continues until 2010 only - It is starting to feel like a new curriculum all round.

In fact I've registered www.thenewcurriculum.co.uk - suggestions as to what I should put on this site?

4 and a half A levels

As a bit of an addundum to the last posting.
Apparently, there will be a super Diploma worth 4.5 A levels!

I have a feeling that it's all a bit too complex and perhaps, going back to basics would be a better way forward all round?

Is this really the right thing to do

I haven't checked this out yet in any form but on the news this morning an announcement that the Government is to make the new Diploma level 3 quals more acadmeic and worth 4.5 A levels.

Surely this can't be right. I know it was a long time ago but I only did 3 A levels, and I was there full time at school, every day and had masses of extra work to do. Further, we are faliing a significant proportion of youngsetrs already in not having the right studty programme for them. Students who are academically minded already have good routes, those who haven't the ability to get acadmeic quals are again being marginalised.

I also simply don't believe that it is possible to do the equivalent of 4.5 A levels and then have employers beleive it was wotrh 4.5 A levels. Saying it is is just wrong, as no-one will believe it and therefore the qual will be devalued.

More on this when I have investigated.


I'm a big supporter of the new quals (as you'd expect) but this looks like a step too far