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An ever-changing picture - 24 Sep 2010

Chris Parr

Bad omens When the Department for Education website was updated in June with breaking news about the Diplomas, many feared the worst. ...

The results are in - 24 Sep 2010

Amid the hustle and bustle of the exam results season, the achievements of thousands of pioneering Diploma students was somewhat lost behind talk of...

The coalition will not abandon the Diploma - 24 Sep 2010

Rarely has the introduction of a new qualification been met with such strong feelings, both from those who are passionate in its support and those who...

Progress report - 24 Sep 2010

Over the past three years, UCAS, the organisation through which applications are processed for entry to higher education (HE), has been heavily involved...

The gender divide - 24 Sep 2010

The main aim of the Diploma Gender Equality Project for London – which took place in Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets – was to enable young...

Collaboration: Lessons learnt - 24 Sep 2010

As the former principal of Brixham College secondary school in Torbay, Devon – a responsibility he relished for 18 years – Chris Turner has seen immense...

Secondary: Down on the farm - 24 Sep 2010

Bright lights, thumping music and models striding up and down the catwalk. Not perhaps a scenario associated with the Environment and Land Based (ELBS)...

Employer engagement: The art of the Diploma - 24 Sep 2010

With the Creative and Media Diploma (CMD) proving to be one of the most popular of the qualifications, there is a new demand for work-related learning...

Employers: Inspiring links - 24 Sep 2010

Inspire! is the education business partnership for Hackney in east London, and links local and London City employers and their employees with education....

Assign of the times - 24 Sep 2010

Mark what you see and not what you think you see. Use this as the guiding principle when marking internally set assignments and the exam board’s moderated...

Consortium: Come dine with me - 24 Sep 2010

When Jacqui Smith from South Downs College and Jackie Lowe from Warblington School decided to offer their students the option to study for the Diploma...

Assessment top tips - 24 Sep 2010

Reports Reports as a means of assessment are useful in the Diploma as they can be linked to the real world, and the learners can focus on a particular...

Awards 2010: Students of the Year - 24 Sep 2010

Students completing their Diplomas in the first year of delivery are the real pioneers. The thousands of young people who opted to do the first...

Awards 2010: Employers of the Year - 24 Sep 2010

John Short believes the Diploma is the only qualification available that prepares young people for the workplace. “It is motivating, engaging,...

Awards 2010: Teachers of the Year - 24 Sep 2010

Several of Amanda Gowland’s students will be going to university in the coming years, when previously this would not have been an option. Through...

Awards 2010: Consortia of the Year - 24 Sep 2010

The collaboration required in delivering Diplomas has been unprecedented in the history of education in this country – in terms of design, development...

Awards 2010: Exam Officers of the Year - 24 Sep 2010

School examination officers have a difficult role. They have to ensure each candidate is entered for the required number of papers, organise the appropriate...

Core of the new curriculum - 24 Sep 2010

Let US be absolutely honest about Functional Skills. It is frustrating, it is hard to teach, it places big demands on the teacher, it is hard...

Diploma results: More than 3,500 celebrate - 24 Aug 2010

Chris Parr

As the final Diploma results of 2010 are announced, the schools minister has again emphasised his belief that the 14 to 19 qualifications have a...

The state of play - 16 Aug 2010

Rebecca Taylor-Onion

Which Diplomas will be cut? The Coalition announced in June that the so-called “academic” Diplomas in humanities, sciences...

Diploma Gateway process ended - 22 Jul 2010

Chris Parr

The process that determines whether schools and colleges are capable of delivering the 14 to 19 Diplomas is to be scrapped by the government.

Diploma entitlement axed, but Gibb reassures learners - 03 Jul 2010

Students will no longer have the right to study all of the 14 to 19 Diplomas after ministers confirmed that schools will be able to pick and choose...

End of the line for 'academic' diplomas - 09 Jun 2010

Chris Parr

Development of the new Diplomas in science, humanities and languages – due to be introduced from September 2011 – has ceased with immediate...

Backing the Diploma - 27 May 2010

Brendon Riley

In 2009 IBM was directly involved in delivering the IT Diploma across England working with 18 consortia, federations and partnerships of schools...

Taking the lead: HTI - 27 May 2010

Anne Evans

The new education secretary, Michael Gove, has said that education “is awakening people to the glories of what humankind has been capable of...

Pupils on track for Diplomas - 28 Apr 2010

Students from across London have been helping to develop London’s railway network as part of their Diploma studies. More than 60...

Diploma FAQs - 17 Apr 2010

School leaders charged with delivering Diplomas have a very practical outlook: they want to get the best outcomes for their students by making sure...

From the Diploma examiner’s mouth - 09 Apr 2010

Paula Goddard

All things in moderation Coursework assignments have to be marked. Of course they do. But ever wondered why the mark has to be checked,...

Essential components - 09 Apr 2010

Ian Duckett

Additional and Specialist Learning (ASL) is the key to developing a maximalist model of the Diploma, one that provides a full flavour of the vocational...

Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills - 09 Apr 2010

Providers of 14 to 19 education are increasingly committed to supporting all learners to develop and enhance their PLTS. Here are the answers to...

Assessment: Managing the Diplomas - 08 Apr 2010

This is the story of how the CIEA (Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors) Lead and Domain Assessor training and support was used to help the...

The rural challenge - 08 Apr 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

Out of necessity, consortia offering Diplomas in rural locations often have to be more creative about how they deliver them than those in urban and...

A learning journey - 08 Apr 2010

When the Advanced Diploma in Engineering was developed by a consortium in Hertfordshire, PLTS were very much at the heart of it. “We...

Riding high - 08 Apr 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

If someone asked you to describe an engineer, what image would spring to mind? A bloke in grimy overalls wielding a spanner, or a man in a suit carrying...

Fancy a date? - 08 Apr 2010

The dating agency As a broker of employer links for the Staffordshire Education Business Partnership in Stoke-on-Trent, I often feel like...

Extended projects: Gently does it - 08 Apr 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

Getting across the concept of the Extended Project to students doing Advanced Diplomas may not be as easy as it first appears. For many,...

MPD in action - 08 Apr 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

They only began their Level 2 Diploma last September, but already students taking the qualification in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD) are...

Diplomas and VLEs - 08 Apr 2010

Travall Towriess

The Chorley and South Ribble Consortium in Lancashire is made up of 17 secondary schools, two special schools and a 6th form college. Since September...

Life on the ward - 07 Apr 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

When the first cohort of Level 2 Diploma students arrived at The Princess Alexandra Hospital last September, they seemed young and immature to be...

Spreading the word - 07 Apr 2010

John Kelly

With focus on increasing Diploma uptake, the need to make students aware of what is involved in studying a Diploma is vital. As is allowing them...

Fighting the recession - 06 Apr 2010

Half way through its second year, the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (CBE) should perhaps be looking at an altogether different...

Choosing your options - 06 Apr 2010

Dan Selinger

The publication of the Additional and Specialist Learning (ASL) catalogue for the Diploma in Retail Business marks the latest step in the long awaited...

A sporting chance - 06 Apr 2010

Stephen Studd

This is undoubtedly the toughest job market in decades to be working in or to be training to work in and it is up to both industry and educationalists...

Work experience: In at the deep end - 06 Apr 2010

Colin Hussey

Nottingham software company Serif has been supporting the Diploma since the beginning through its software. However, we have also become involved...

Diploma support is available from a range of sources, including the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA). Bridie Sullivan talks through the guidance that the QCDA develops - 06 Apr 2010

Bridie Sullivan

The QCDA has developed guidance materials to assist in the teaching and planning of the Diploma. These materials explain the Diploma and demonstrate...

Up the junction - 05 Apr 2010

The employer Simon Bates is head of learning and access at The Junction in Cambridge, one of the country’s busiest cultural venues,...

Curriculum: Engineering success - 03 Apr 2010

Nigel Duncan

The Engineering Diploma in Fareham and Gosport has brought about a mini-renaissance in the popularity of engineering. No longer just the...

Winners celebrate at the 2010 Delivering Diplomas Awards - 30 Mar 2010

Chris Parr

Nominees from across the country descended on the Landmark Hotel in London on Friday (March 26) for the inaugural Delivering Diplomas Awards.

First Delivering Diplomas award winners named - 29 Mar 2010

The winners of the first national Delivering Diplomas Awards were unveiled at the prestigious Landmark Hotel in London on Friday...

Making IT click - 23 Mar 2010

Matthew Thorne

When I was made curriculum manager for the Level 3 Diploma in IT at the Sixth Form College, Farnborough, in June 2008, there were three questions...

Emphasis on the functional - 17 Mar 2010

Jonathan Wells

In this article, let me try and put forward some thoughts and suggestions, deal with a few of the myths, and generally try to get “under the skin”...

Managing the Diplomas - 17 Mar 2010

This is the story of how the CIEA (Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors) Lead and Domain Assessor training and support was used to help the...

Accord for Diplomas - 17 Mar 2010

Brian Rossiter

The 14 to 19 providers in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, have developed an offer to the community that has grown like a hydra. Apprenticeships, GCSEs,...

Recognising excellence - 16 Mar 2010

Friday, March 26, will see the finals of the first ever Delivering Diplomas National Awards, hosted by Delivering Diplomas. We have received...

Inspiring success - 16 Mar 2010

Iain Wright

The great thing about the Diploma is its versatility. Whether students are thinking about heading to university or going straight into the workplace,...

Whither Diplomas? - 16 Mar 2010

Malcolm Trobe

The development of the Diploma has reached a crossroads. The pre-election political uncertainty has undoubtedly had an impact on take-up in 2009...

Student take-up - 16 Mar 2010

Pauline Wade

The national evaluation of Diplomas is now into its third year, which means that for the 15 case study areas we first visited in 2008, we are now...

Special delivery - 16 Mar 2010

New Siblands School has been able to offer some fresh perspectives on Diploma delivery. The special school for children and young people...

No holds barred - 16 Mar 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

Gill Morris is a woman on a mission. The co-director of GMT Consulting, a training company and consultancy, her day-to-day job is to support employers...

Natural development - 16 Mar 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

We are based in central London and already enjoyed an excellent reputation for the work we do in training people in hair and beauty,” said...

Diplomas rural funding boost - 11 Mar 2010

Dorothy Lepkowska

Ministers have announced a £90 million package of measures to help schools and local authorities to deliver the Diploma and implement 14 to 19 reforms....

The implications of technology - 24 Feb 2010

Steve Smith

Learning for young people is being turned on its head by the 14 to 19 agenda. Studying in just one location will become a thing of the past. Instead,...

War of words over Diplomas - 27 Jan 2010

Chris Parr

A row about the future of the Diplomas has broken out after a senior education minister said it would be “short-term, foolish and narrow-minded”...

The importance of IAG - 21 Jan 2010

Andrew Gaskell

The approach to delivering the Diploma employs a consortium model requiring schools, colleges, employers and the local authority to work together...

All about context - 04 Dec 2009

It is the flexibility of Diplomas that make them so interesting and appealing to students. Matt Old, Diploma head at Kingston Maurward...

Confusion over Diploma funding - 12 Nov 2009

Chris Parr

Confusion has broken out regarding the level of per-pupil funding given to local authorities to pay for Diplomas, after ministers denied claims that...

A steep learning curve - 23 Oct 2009

As of September 2009, the Diploma in Hair and Beauty Studies is available in schools across England, with the qualification offered to young people in...

'Rigour' of Diplomas must be recognised - 08 Oct 2009

Dorothy Lepkowska

Recognition of the “rigour and currency” of Diplomas is crucial if they are to compete with GCSEs and A levels, a SecEd conference has...

Diploma students wow conference delegates - 08 Oct 2009

Pupils from Hanham High School in Bristol were in high demand at the Fourth National Delivering Diplomas conference last week, with delegates queueing...

What is the difference between a BTEC and a Diploma? - 08 Oct 2009

When students ask Paul Helliwell whether they should be a BTEC or Diploma in Information Technology, he has a ready answer. “The way I...

Tories outline Diploma plans - 06 Oct 2009

Chris Parr

Schools would not be required to offer students an entitlement to study all of the new Diploma lines of learning under a Conservative government....

Helping you to make history - 24 Sep 2009

Pete Henshaw

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Delivering Diplomas magazine. This ground-breaking new title is for all those involved in the delivery of the...

The story so far - 24 Sep 2009

In 2007, Alan Johnson, the then secretary of state for education and skills, hailed the introduction of Diplomas as “the most radical education...

Diplomas in the news - 24 Sep 2009

The first Diplomas results day In August 2009, while hundreds of thousands of teenagers were receiving their GCSE results, a small group...

Celebrating the Diploma - 24 Sep 2009

It has been more than 12 months since the first schools and colleges started offering the new Diploma, and what a year it has been. The new Diploma...

The heart of change - 24 Sep 2009

As the new Diplomas continue their steady roll out with five new lines and increasing numbers of young people signing up in September 2009, we see...

The TEAM approach - 24 Sep 2009

Bassetlaw, a district covering about 300 square miles in north Nottinghamshire, has a history of 11 to 19 providers working in partnership. It is...

10 after 2 in Barnsley - 24 Sep 2009

Collaboration and co-operation between schools and colleges is nothing new in Barnsley, and was instigated long before Diplomas came along. ...

Building partnerships - 24 Sep 2009

The involvement of employers with the government’s flagship Diplomas is absolutely critical to their success. Without direct input, students...

Teaching skills for all - 24 Sep 2009

Barking Council could not have made its position on the importance of Diplomas more clear. In September 2011, it will open a £14 million purpose-built...

College to college partnerships - 24 Sep 2009

Delivering Diplomas is all about co-operation and collaboration between institutions. But for two colleges, serving different local authorities,...

Headteacher’s view - 24 Sep 2009

I knew that life with the Diploma was going to be challenging from the moment I was told that our North Suffolk 14 to 19 Partnership had been awarded...

A vested interest - 24 Sep 2009

Big business and industry has a vested interest in helping Diplomas to work. “As a company, we believe that you can’t grumble...

Learning the hard way - 24 Sep 2009

Specialist ICT school, Djanogly City Academy in Nottingham, opened in August 2003 and now has more than 1,600 students. The academy was one...

Evaluating Diplomas - 24 Sep 2009

In January 2008, the Department for Children, Schools and Families commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the University...

Engagement and collaboration - 24 Sep 2009

The “duty to collaborate” outlined in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill represents the culmination of a decade-long...

Strength in numbers - 24 Sep 2009

In 2007, the Association of School and College Leaders published a book by Robert Hill entitled Achieving More Together: Adding Value Through Partnership...

Top Diploma queries - 24 Sep 2009

The questions we have been getting about Diplomas have more recently centred on the practicalities of offering a course. Here are the top five questions...

Six steps to success - 24 Sep 2009

Few qualifications have divided opinion as much as Diplomas. Schools that have embraced the new qualification speak of renewed engagement and enthusiasm...

Duty to collaborate - 24 Sep 2009

Why do we need new Diplomas? In 2006, the government announced a new system of Diplomas for students aged 14 to 19, aimed at equipping...

Celebrating your work - 24 Sep 2009

Delivering Diplomas and its sister title SecEd are proud to announce that the inaugural National Delivering Diplomas Awards are now open for entries....

Sharing best practice - 24 Sep 2009

October 1, 2009, and March 18, 2010, will see the Fourth and Fifth National Delivering Diplomas conferences taking place at Birmingham’s Aston...

Hands-on learning - 24 Sep 2009

Like all students choosing their options, pupils at the Blue Coat CE Performing Arts College in Walsall, had some difficult decisions to make. Should...

The road to results day - 24 Sep 2009

As a qualification, the Diploma is available at three levels which can be completed over one or two years. Diploma learners will discuss with their...

A helping hand - 24 Sep 2009

The introduction of a new qualification inevitably results in questions about the thinking behind it, how to introduce it, and how students can progress...

Supporting exam officers - 24 Sep 2009

Atotal of 10 Diploma subjects are available now. It is a flexible qualification that, compared with the GCSEs and A levels they are used to handling,...

Convincing the public - 24 Sep 2009

To say that assessment has gone professional, might be construed as patronising in the extreme – if that were to suggest that there was little...

Out in the real world - 24 Sep 2009

Let’s start with the facts. Students have to pass Functional Skills. To get a Foundation Diploma, all three subjects have to be passed at Level...

PLTS: Food for thought - 24 Sep 2009

Today, 14 to 19 providers are increasingly committed to supporting all learners, and those of their partners, to develop and enhance their Personal,...

Extended Project: Preparing for HE - 24 Sep 2009

The Extended Project gives young people the freedom to delve into something outside the normal perimeters of the curriculum, something they are really...

Diploma challenges: Tough times - 24 Sep 2009

Although initially planning to introduce the Diploma in Hair and Beauty in September 2009, certain issues have led Campion School to postpone our...

Employers: What can you offer? - 24 Sep 2009

The new Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD) features three principal areas relevant to all manufacturing companies in all sectors:...

The right path. IAG: Giving the best advice - 24 Sep 2009

Careers education Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) is high on the government’s agenda as it hopes to combat rising levels of youth unemployment...

Local authorities: Where there’s a will… - 24 Sep 2009

The old adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way” could not be more pertinent when it comes to Diploma delivery in North...

Secondary/HE: Friends in high places - 24 Sep 2009

Diploma consortia are usually made up of clusters of schools and further education colleges. But few include a university. Anglia Ruskin...

Secondary/HE: Friends in high places - 24 Sep 2009

Diploma consortia are usually made up of clusters of schools and further education colleges. But few include a university. Anglia Ruskin...

Employer engagement: Raising the bar - 24 Sep 2009

Hertfordshire has built a formidable reputation at the cutting edge of the new Diploma qualifications. The North Hertfordshire Strategic Area Partnership...

Secondary: One year on - 24 Sep 2009

Hanham High School along with five other local secondary schools and a further education college in South Gloucestershire form the Kingswood Partnership....

Focus on students - 24 Sep 2009

We chose the Creative and Media Diploma because we both are really interested in the media industry (careers in catwalk photography and radio broadcasting)....

Gateway to success - 24 Sep 2009

Across England there are local authorities and 14 to 19 partnerships examining disappointing results from the recent Gateway 3. Partnerships in more...

Small employers: A new dimension - 24 Sep 2009

The introduction of Diplomas represents the first time that the needs of smaller and medium-sized employers have really been considered by ministers,...

Further information and resources - 24 Sep 2009

14 to 19 Workforce Support This programme builds on last year’s official Diploma Support Programme and will provide training and...

Phase 4 update - 24 Sep 2009

Long before awarding bodies even begin to develop their specifications, the views of Diploma partners are sought, from employers and universities,...

Teenagers still in the dark over Diplomas - 10 Sep 2009

Many teenagers know little if anything about Diplomas, or have decided that they are a less attractive option than A levels, according to a new study....

Press slammed for misleading reports - 03 Sep 2009

Misleading press coverage of the new Diplomas could be damaging the qualification, according to leading educationalists. Recent news stories...

Diploma students make history - 03 Sep 2009

While hundreds of thousands of teenagers received their GCSE results last week, a small group of just over 200 students were quietly making education...

Expert slams misleading Diploma coverage - 25 Aug 2009

he co-author of a report into how universities perceive the Diplomas has today hit back at the misleading coverage it has received in the national...

Inspectors paint 'mixed picture' of Diplomas - 07 Aug 2009

Delivery of the first five Diploma courses has been largely successful, but better teaching of functional skills is required to push the qualifications...
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