Case study Chris Turner OBE is already an old hat when it comes to the Diploma,


having spearheaded delivery in Devon, which attracted national acclaim


for its innovative approach. Now he is applying this valuable experience in Bournemouth and Poole, where delivery began in September. Louise Isaacs talks to Chris in his new role as executive principal of


Glenmoor and Winton Educational Trust about the lessons learnt from trailblazing Diplomas, and the challenges other local authorities face


A


S THE former principal of Brixham College secondary school in Torbay, Devon – a responsibility he relished for 18 years – Chris


Turner has seen immense changes to the 14 to 19 landscape. “But in my view there is still too much


learning in modern schools based far too much on a 20th Century approach,” he said. “I visit schools where the learning is still no


diff erent from the 1950s and 60s. I think the experience for these students has to change if they are to succeed as rounded individuals both in their careers and personal lives. “It’s fairly obvious education must keep


pace with the needs of society.” Torbay embraced Diploma delivery in


September 2008, with some 120 students accessing fi ve learning lines across a range of institutions. Five additional learning lines were added in


September 2009. “Creative and Media was the strongest in


terms of student numbers, which we ran at our college in partnership with two schools and South Devon College,” said Chris. “In the fi rst year we had 72 students. Other


learning lines had much lower numbers between 10 and 25 on each. “For me there were several challenges. It was


crucial to have excellent public relations to reach those parents who were dubious about Diplomas. It was a bit of a contradiction because these same parents were also excited about Diplomas because they were new. So we had a big selling job to do. “We did this by taking this message into


non-educational environments holding sessions in hotels and in big rooms at the town hall, so not to be seen linked to one school.” However some schools at this stage were


more on board than others, he admits. “I’ve heard that old cliché that grammars


aren’t as keen, but from my experience in Devon this just wasn’t the case,” said Chris. “Grammars there were eager partners


running Diplomas in business and partnered with challenging schools to do that. In a sense you need to go into it whole-heartedly with


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no fear or trepidation, otherwise students will pick up on it.” Concerns about students travelling between


schools also proved to be unfounded. “It worked very well and there were only a


few teething problems. Students simply got themselves to the host school using public transport. T ey enjoyed the independence of doing that. “Uniforms were another initial concern,


which we overcame by creating a new one specifi cally for the Diplomas. Our Creative and Media students wore a sports shirt with a logo and they absolutely loved it. It also gave them their own identity.” T e only way to make Diplomas sustainable


in their success, says Chris, is to ensure good quality control is in place at the outset. “We made sure the outcomes all the time


were of the highest,” he said. “We knew it would fl ounder if it was not cutting edge. “Diplomas need to stretch students like


GCSEs to retain their credibility. Yes of course Diplomas and GCSEs are very diff erent beasts, but they must be equal in quality and challenge.” “It’s a diff erent way of learning in the


21st Century. But the greatest thing I’ve seen with Diplomas is the transformation in students’ attitudes to learning and the learning experience. T ey take control of it - have ownership.” Other concerns tasking Torbay in those


early days were questions about students going from school to school. Who should be responsible for their behaviour and what should be the processes for this? “But we had no problems and nor will


Bournemouth and Poole or any other LA if they have a contingency plan in place if things go wrong,” said Chris. “Success also depends on the culture and


ethos of the receiving establishment. It must be a welcoming school – not insular. “T at may or may not cause worries in


other LAs because there are a range of schools with diff erent ethos. T ese schools have to be prepared to work together.” One trail blazed in lights across Torbay was the setting up of a Learning Partnership


Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) portal which students use to assess their learning materials and coursework from diff erent centres across the local authority or from home. Learners and staff also use the VLE to


communicate and contribute to collaborative projects, no matter which institution they are working in. T is online virtual community is held up as


a shining case study on the further education and skills sector’s Excellence Gateway site and materials. “Online learning, virtual schools, or


whatever you want to call them are the way of the future and totally possible under Diplomas,” said Chris. “It moves away from learning being teacher-


led to student-led learning, with the teacher becoming a facilitator. “Diplomas also create other spin-off s,


breaking down further barriers in learning. In Torbay in Creative and Media, each


Delivering Diplomas • Volume 2 No 2 Autumn 2010


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