Case Study
Headteacher’s view
Secondary head Ian Flintof_f of_f ers his ref_l ections on year one of Diploma delivery
KNEW THAT life with the Diploma was going to be links created by the work placement offi cers; a core of engineering
I
c

hallenging from the moment I was told that our North teaching expertise and good collaborative work; and experience of
Suff olk 14 to 19 Partnership had been awarded the Diploma in solving the main delivery issues in a collaborative way (common
Engineering for September 2008. T_h is was the culmination of curriculum days, transport, funding, staff collaboration, resourcing).
two separate but interlocking threads of development aff ecting our In delivery terms, Level 1 and 2 Principal Learning was taught by
school over a period of nearly three years. staff from Leiston High/Sir John at the Skills Centre (one full day
First, our designation as a high performing specialist school for each level), and Level 3 Principal Learning (one day) was to be
allowed us to take on the applied learning specialism from 2006. off ered at Lowestoft College with its more sophisticated equipment.
T_h is enabled us to extend learning opportunities and long-term So what have we learned over 2008/09? T_h e Diploma is not like
work placements as standard aspects of personalised learning any other new qualifi cation – it is an entirely diff erent and complex
programmes, to employ a full-time work placement offi cer, and beast. We have had to work to ensure the full guided learning hours
to work in partnership with three other schools and our further are delivered and now have a protocol for each Diploma line to
education college to create more opportunities. ensure every learner in each institution gets the full package, and
An early development was the introduction of Applied that they get the support they need in their home school (our early
Engineering GCSE with sponsorship by British Energy at Sizewell plan to deliver the Diploma simply on the one agreed day was soon
and the incorporation of some quality applied learning experiences, found to be inadequate). T_h e Diploma is a challenging qualifi cation
such as coursework units designed by professional engineers to for many learners – this has been the case especially at Level 1 and 3
solve real engineering challenges, and a mentoring system with (where some students have struggled with the advanced maths and
physics required).
Diploma practitioners need time to meet together regularly to
‘
A high level of co-operation
plan eff ective and well organised schemes of work – this requires a
and trust will not overcome an
systematic approach to release time, not an ad hoc one. T_h ey require
the active and strong support of senior leaders to assist in planning,
absence of robust structures and
but also to help integrate the meaningful involvement of other key
collaborative groups, such as examination offi cers, Information,
protocols at partnership level
Advice and Guidance co-ordinators, Functional Skills staff , and
professionals helping to develop students’ work-based skills.
Second, I recognised that our students at Leiston Community
High School could gain enormous benefi t from an ex
’
work placement offi cers. A high level of co-operation and trust
will not overcome an absence of robust structures and protocols at
partnership level – successful partnerships rely on creating capacity
citing 14 to (e.g. Diploma manager at assistant headteacher level) to bring
19 partnership with Bungay High School, Sir John Leman High coherence to Diploma delivery.
School, Stradbroke Business and Enterprise College, and Lowestoft Senior leaders need to ascertain from their delivery staff which
College. Based on a high level of trust and respect, the headteachers training needs are paramount and then act to plan training in a way
and college principal worked with our senior curriculum managers that is manageable for partner schools and individuals.
to establish a common vision of raising achievement through new T_h e fi nancial sustainability of the Diploma is still one that will
approaches to curriculum design. require careful review – with Engineering, there is a heavy reliance
In 2006, our partnership was successful in securing £2.3 million on expensive equipment and combined with travel in our rural area,
for a cutting edge skills centre and, in September 2007, North it has proved a challenging line to start with. In 2009/10, we will be
Suff olk Skills Centre opened its doors to 196 students with six lines delivering year 12/13 Level 3 Diploma teaching in one group, as this
of learning initially – we now have over 330 key stage 4 learners creates a more viable group and reduces transport costs by focusing
studying NVQ and BTEC courses as well as the Diplomas. Principal Learning on one day for all.
I am also a member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust T_h e Diploma is one part of the four pathways model to drive a
National Applied Learning Headteacher Steering Group, which more personalised off er at key stages 4 and 5 – we are trying to create
meets each term to plan towards the development of the specialism, an off er that will encompass more Apprenticeships and will continue
support and development for applied learning schools, training to off er NVQ/BTEC courses, and we are piloting a Foundation
and CPD including the annual conference, and strives to infl uence Learning group in year 10 to create a more rewarding off er for those
debate on policy and practice nationally. who struggle to gain meaningful qualifi cations at key stage 4. DD
Several factors were paramount in getting through Gateway 1:
a track record in delivering quality applied learning within an • Ian Flintoff is head of Leiston Community High School in Suff olk.
eff ective partnership with British Energy; a growing set of employer Visit www.northsuff olkskillscentre.co.uk
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009 47
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