Case study
Secondary/HE:
Friends in high places
Gable Hall School
is focusing on the
Society, Health and
Development Diploma and has
a partnership with higher education.
Dorothy Lepkowska reports
IPLOMA CONSORTIA are Level 3, so it was “Many of them do not know much about
D
usually made up of clusters of important that the Diplomas, so we have tried to inform them
schools and further education work experience was of what knowledge and skills they can expect their
colleges. But few include a good quality,” she explained. applicants to arrive with. Universities, generally,
university. Anglia Ruskin University, which “I enlisted the support have formed assumptions about Diplomas
has campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford, of T_h urrock Council, a major without understanding them properly.
prides itself on its vocational courses, and is employer in the area, which has given the “Hopefully, it will at least ensure that our
one of country’s biggest suppliers of nurses cluster links to areas of its work, such as students get an interview if they apply there.”
and teachers. It was no surprise, therefore, social care, youth off ending and other youth A spokesman for Anglia Ruskin said the
when it became involved with Diplomas. services, and community partnerships. university had a long tradition of welcoming
T_h e university works closely with schools “In addition, Basildon Hospital, students with a wide range of qualifi cations:
such as Gable Hall in T_h urrock, which is which off ers courses for its own staff in “We welcome the new Diplomas as an
one of two secondary schools and a 6th form communication and CPD, has been asked exciting alternative to the traditional A level
college involved in delivering the Diploma to tailor some of its courses to our students’ route,” he said.
in Society, Health and Development (SHD). needs. T_h ey have identifi ed people who can “T_h e university has been working with local
In total, the consortium comprises 10 do these and given them training.” deliverers of the new qualifi cation and we
secondaries, two colleges, and a number of However, it is the involvement of Anglia acknowledge the merits of applied learning
businesses. Ruskin University that is perhaps the most and employer involvement and believe that
Gable Hall already had a reputation for intriguing: “A key element of the Diploma is the development of Personal, Learning and
its applied learning, so the Diploma was a progression, so we have asked the university T_h inking Skills will be of signifi cant benefi t as
natural progression in its curriculum off er. to off er one day every term of workshops and preparation for higher education-level study.”
Sally Feeney, line lead for SHD at the taster sessions for our students,” Ms Feeney Jonathan Secker, the university’s
school, said they were off ering Levels 2 and continued. recruitment and communication lead, added:
3 in SHD: “Before the summer, we had 11 “T_h e idea is that it will get students used to “We have been working with local schools and
Level 2 and up to 15 Level 3 students lined up going to university and inspire them to want colleges to give them a taste of university life
to begin the courses, which is far in excess of to do a degree and experience university life.” and to show the progression routes available
the minimum of fi ve we believed we needed T_h is might include admissions tutors after SHD,” he said.
to make the course viable,” she said. passing on tips to prospective students on “Our activities include subject-specifi c
T_h e school already provides BTECs in interview techniques, or providing taster taster days, on-site visits, academics visiting
related areas, so delivering the Diploma did sessions in alternative therapies such as yoga, colleges, and members of the marketing
not pose many challenges. However, it was the which are now used by many healthcare and recruitment team presenting at parents’
nature of the new qualifi cation that required professionals. evenings to show to parents that we value and
some additional work. At the same time, Ms Feeney, who is accept the Diploma.”
Ms Feeney said she had spent much of the speaking at the Delivering Diplomas national Another initiative being undertaken by the
last year developing links with employers to conference on October 1, 2009 (see page faculty is the development of work books to
ensure that students had good high quality 29), has used the links with Anglia Ruskin fi t around the Diploma, including books for
work experience opportunities. to spread the message about Diplomas to nutrition, dementia, infection control, and
“T_h e students must do at least 20 days at academic heads of faculty. youth work.” DD
54 Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009
54-55 gable hallb.indd 12 18/9/09 11:47:23
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