What's new
Diploma Gateway 2 - fantastic news
Fantastic news - yesterday we heard that we will be able to offer five new Diplomas from September 2009 as follows:
- Two Diploma applications were graded 3 last time - IT and construction and the built environment. We had to be interviewed by Cambridge Education, on behalf of DCSF. to assure them that we have met the criteria. We have now heard that we met the criteria in both cases and can deliver in 2009
- For society, health and development we were graded 4 last time and had to reapply through Gateway 2. We were successful and were graded 2, which means that we just have to satisfy certain criteria in order to deliver in 2009
- We also applied for hair and beauty and hospitality and catering and both were successful, with grade 1 for hospitality and catering and grade 2 for hair and beauty
Thank you to all of those who led the groups, worked hard on the Diploma curriculum groups and contributed to the writing of the proposal. It really was a team effort.
Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver (Joint DCSF/DIUS consultation)
This is a joint consultation between the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) on the transfer of planning and funding responsibilities for 16-19 year olds from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to Local Authorities and proposals for reforming the post 19 skills landscape.
Launch Date: 17 Mar 2008
Closing Date: 09 June 2008
Downloadable documents
14-19 Team
There's lots changing in the 14-19 team:
Carol Cantwell, Vocational Consultant left at the end of February to go to a new post in the 14-19 team in Bolton - we wish her well.
Sue Eldridge is retiring on 20th March and has been replaced by:
Aly Keogh, 14-19 Programme Manager
Tel 0161 778 0168
email: alyson.keogh@salford.gov.uk
Gina Perry, website coordinator is leaving in order to pursue a very wide range of different interests. She has done a fantastic job on where2nxt and we owe her a great debt. It is hoped to appoint an information officer to cover this and other aspects of information
The remaining members of the team are:
Catherine Collier, Diploma Coordinator
Tel 0161 778 0334
email: catherine.collier@salford.gov.uk
Val Meredith, 14-19 Administrator
Tel 0161 778 0126
email val.meredith@salford.gov.uk
Further Diploma information
Diploma and Functional Skills equivalences in the League Tables
DCSF has accepted the QCA's recommendations on how many performance points the Diplomas and Functional Skills will be awarded in the AATs:
- The Foundation Level Diploma will attract points equivalent to 5 GCSEs (A*-G)
- The Higher Level Diploma will attract points equivalent to 7 GCSEs (A*-C)
- The Advanced Level Diploma will attract points equivalent to 3.5 A Levels (A*-E)
- Each Functional Skill will attract points equivalent to 0.5 GCSEs (at level 2 A*-C, at level 1 A*-G)
The Diploma equivalence at each level includes performance points for the Principal Learning, the Project and the Additional and Specialist Learning. Achievement of any one of these elements of the Diploma without completion of the full Diploma will attract performance points for that element alone.
At Foundation and Higher Level Functional Skills will be awarded performance points outside of the Diploma, as a reflection of the fact that we expect students to continue studying GCSE English and Maths and this will be contributing to their achievement of the Functional Skills. There are no separate performance points awarded at Foundation and Higher Level for the Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills as teaching will be embedded across the Diploma and is also supported by learning in the core curriculum in subjects such as Citizenship and PHSE. Similarly there are no points awarded for work experience because this is a statutory requirement for all Key Stage 4 students. At Advanced Level all of these components - Functional Skills and Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills and work experience - are awarded performance points in the Diploma because there is no statutory curriculum outside of the Diploma contributing to their achievement.
How will Diploma Students Count in the AATs?
Students achieving the full Diploma, or any component part of the Diploma, will count in the AATs against any or all of the indicators as they do now. So a student achieving a full Higher Level Diploma would count against the '5A*-C' indicator, and if they achieved a Grade C or above in their English and Maths GCSEs in addition to their Diploma they would also count against the '5A*-C including English and Maths' indicator.
The 'home' institution - the institution where the student is legally registered - will continue to receive the full credit for the achievement of Diploma learners, even where some of their learning is taking place in other institutions. This is necessary to ensure a single institution retains accountability for the quality of teaching and learning that Diploma students receive, and ensures there is no danger of them falling between two or more institutions. It also means that effective quality assurance between institutions will be crucial, as we have seen already in some of the most successful 14-19 partnerships.
NDAQ (National Database of Accredited Qualifications) now holds catalogues for the first five Diploma Lines of Learning, available for teaching at three levels from September 2008.
Within each Diploma catalogue, users can view the principal learning and project qualifications available, as well as a full listing of the functional skills and additional and specialist learning options relevant to the specific Line of Learning and level.
The catalogues enable centres to put together their Diploma offers, and learners to view what combinations of qualifications may be available as part of a Diploma package in their locality
weblink
www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk
Specifications
Specifications can be found on the awarding body websites as follows:
Weblinks
This page was last updated on 20 March 2008
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