Teachers's Guide

Diplomas are qualifications that will provide an exciting, stretching and relevant programme of learning for all young people.

Each Diploma will have pathways to accommodate a wide range of aspirations. They are being designed to appeal to the most capable students preparing for the most demanding university courses, to students who would engage better with the innovative diploma approach than with existing provision, and, where appropriate, to students planning to enter the workforce directly from their diploma studies.

Diplomas will give young people a real alternative to traditional learning styles by offering an imaginative, high quality blend of general education and applied learning. Above all,  Diplomas will help young people of all abilities to realise their potential.

Students need the education to thrive in a constantly changing global economy. The Diploma brings together employers and educators to help prepare students for life and work.

What will the Diplomas look like?

Diplomas will be available at levels 1, 2 and 3. In terms of workload and achievement, level 1 will be equivalent to four to five GCSEs at grades D–G (600 guided learning hours) and level 2 to five to six GCSEs at grades A*–C (800 guided learning hours), while level 3 will be equivalent to three A levels (1,080 guided learning hours). There will also be a level 3 progression qualification equivalent to two A levels (720 guided learning hours). Diplomas at all levels2 will incorporate the following:

• Principal learning – this will develop knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to a broad economic sector, using realistic contexts and leading-edge sector relevant materials.
• Additional/specialist learning – this will allow learners to tailor their programme according to interests and aspirations. This may include further specialisation or complementary studies.
• Generic learning – this will ensure that all Diploma students cover common generic skills that are relevant to successful learning and future employment. This includes personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS), a project, maths, English and ICT user skills (functional skills) and work experience. This generic learning will often be embedded across the principal learning of the Diploma.

Details on the structure, assessment and grading of the specialised Diploma have been published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and can be downloaded from the QCA website. 

Current position

Statements of content

Each Diploma Development Partnership or DDP – led by sector skills councils, working closely with key stakeholders including employers, representatives from schools, further education, higher education, Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), QCA and DfES – has developed a statement of content that will form the basis of qualification development, to be undertaken by awarding bodies and DDPs working in partnership.

It is anticipated that the statements of content will be subject to further refinement and iteration as the qualification develops. The statement of content for the creative and media line of learning is to be the subject of further consultation through to 31 September, to ensure that employers’ needs are met. Further consultation with employers will also be taking place in the health and social care sector. In all cases, however, the statements of content provide a sound basis on which qualification development will now start.

Qualification development

The qualification development process will continue until March 2007, at which point awarding bodies will submit qualifications to QCA for accreditation. Prior to this, there will be two checkpoint consultations, probably around November 2006 and February 2007, to ensure that the emerging qualifications meet the needs of all parties. Accredited qualifications will be published by September 2007, in advance of first teaching in September 2008.

Diploma gateway process

The materials will also help schools, colleges and other providers to make decisions about offering Diplomas in September 2008. A Diploma gateway process has been established to assess the readiness of providers to offer the Diplomas. Local authorities were asked to collate expressions of interest by 7 July. The DfES will publish detailed Gateway criteria in September. Consortia of providers will work with local authorities and the Learning and Skills Council to complete self-assessment procedures by the end of December. Regional assessment panels will validate self-assessments during January and February 2007 and either support continued development towards a September 2008 start or steer providers towards September 2009. Further details of the gateway procedures can be downloaded from the DfES website.

Summaries of content

The summaries that follow describe in outline the purpose, themes and topics of each Diploma. The form in which this information is presented does not imply particular approaches to teaching, learning and assessment of Diploma content. Further details, including detailed learning outcomes, content and information on approaches to delivery, will be found by following the links to the websites of each DDP.

Questions about Diplomas should be directed to the joint DfES, QCA, SSDA enquiry point diploma@qca.org.uk.

Last updated on the 06-06-2007