QCDA
The road to
results day
Results day marks the end of a journey for
learners who embarked on a Diploma
course one or two years earlier. Brigitte
Boyce from the Qualifications and
Curriculum Development Agency
guides us through this journey,
step-by-step
s A qualification, the Diploma
A
is available at three levels which
can be completed over one or
two years. Diploma learners will
discuss with their tutor a programme of
study which must include all components:
Principal Learning, Extended Project, Work Once a learner has
Experience, Functional skills, Personal, chosen his or her programme of study, a be recorded in the learner account
Learning and Thinking skills, and Additional timetable can be developed. This timetable in the DAs by awarding bodies and exams
and specialist Learning (AsL). will include travel to other Diploma centres office staff.
There is flexibility in the Diplomas which within a consortium so that learners can As soon as learners have completed
allows a learner to tailor their programme of experience the wide range of expertise and their programme of study, including all
study through the raft of qualifications that facilities on offer. The programme of study assessments and examinations, the DAs
make up the AsL component. The range of is recorded by a learner’s home exams office aggregates all the components of the
qualifications can be found in the National staff which will ensure that all the necessary Diploma, calculating the final grade for the
Database of Accredited Qualifications components at the right level are in place. learner.
– NDAQ (see page 65). The exams office staff will also make a note There are two awarding windows – one
When selecting the qualifications that of the examinations timetable and deadlines at the end of August and one in January.
make up the AsL component of the for completed work. At this stage, a learner Diploma grades appear in the DAs and are
Diploma, a learner needs to ensure that will be issued with a unique, 10-digit learner also issued by DABs via their extranets.
the qualifications they have chosen are number through the Learner Registration schools and colleges will be able to print
appropriate. Not all qualifications are service. off the details from the DABs’ extranets and
appropriate and the NDAQ can be used Next, the exams office staff need to give them to learners. successful learners
to search for those that are approved for register on the Diploma Aggregation will receive their Diploma transcripts and
their content and level. some qualifications service (DAs) and register themselves as certificates shortly afterwards.
cannot be combined in a course of study DAs administrators. This will enable them Learners who do not achieve all of the
as they have significant overlap in their to input details about their learners and components required for the Diploma will
content. All qualifications have barring codes monitor their progress over the course of receive a transcript of achievement, known
and those with the same codes can not be study. Once they have been set up on the as a Diploma Progress statement, setting
combined. DAs, exams office staff need to register out what they have achieved and what they
The Diplomas have been designed their learners. They will create an individual need to do in order to complete the full
for the inclusion of previously awarded learner account for each learner which will qualification.
qualifications, such as GCsEs, that meet the contain qualification results and details Then it is time for the next set of Diploma
criteria and can be counted towards the final of other achievements. They also need to learners to begin their journey. DD
award. To be awarded a Diploma, a learner register their learners with the chosen DAB
must complete all of the components that (Diploma awarding body). This enables • Brigitte Boyce is head of Diploma delivery
make up the qualification. each learner’s results and achievements to operations at the QCDA.
34 Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009
34-35 qcaa.indd 12 18/9/09 09:39:00
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