Politics An ever-changing picture


The Diplomas faced an uncertain future when the coalition came to power, with some commentators reporting that any Conservative-led government would bring them to an end. This has not happened, although a number of changes have come to pass, and there could be many more, as Chris Parr reports


Bad omens


When the Department for Education website was updated in June with breaking news about the Diplomas, many feared the worst. Speculation and discussion in the build


up to the General Election had centred on the future of 14 to 19 education, and the possibility that Diplomas would be consigned to the scrap heap. Banished. Te first announcement to emerge from


Whitehall was not overly encouraging. Nick Gibb, the schools minister placed in charge of the Diplomas, confirmed that the fourth wave of Diplomas – those in Humanities, Science and Languages – were indeed to be discontinued. On June 7 he ordered all development work to “cease immediately”. “It’s not for Government to decide which


qualifications pupils should take, or to force the development of new qualifications, which is why we are stopping development of the state-led ‘academic Diploma’ in Humanities, Sciences and Languages from today,” he said.


Schools minister Nick Gibb’s statement on ending Diploma entitlement and scrapping the Extended Diploma:


“Te Diploma entitlement forces schools and colleges to offer all lines of learning, and so adds extra layers of complexity and red tape to the whole process, with a great deal of work required on curriculum planning and timetabling. Ending it will free schools and colleges to offer the lines of learning they want and that they know will meet the needs of their students. It will allow them to specialise in certain lines if they wish, and it will make it is easier for some centres to provide Diplomas. We are stopping the development of


the Extended Diploma because it would be an unnecessary burden on schools and colleges, with no clear benefit for young people, who already have the flexibility to take additional qualifications alongside their Diploma.”


Delivering Diplomas • Volume 2 No 2 Autumn 2010 “Instead, we will devote our efforts to


making sure our existing qualifications are rigorous, challenging and properly prepare our young people for life, work and study.” Te announcement has not completely


stopped the development of these qualifications in their tracks, though. Much of the work carried out by the Diploma Development Partnerships (DDPs) could still see the light of day, with some awarding bodies declaring their intention to accredit the Principal Learning of the Languages Diploma as a stand-alone qualification. A phoenix rising from the flames. However, it would be difficult to portray


the decline of the wave four Diplomas in a positive light. Te DDPs had been working relentlessly to prepare qualifications that would have offered thousands of youngsters the chance to adopt the Diploma style of learning across three new and exciting areas. Tat will not now happen. Also consigned to the scrapheap is the


Extended Diploma, which was originally intended to offer students a larger programme with more in-depth grounding and more opportunity for research-intensive independent study. According to Mr Gibb, the qualification, which was to be worth four and a half A levels, had “no clear benefit for young people”, because they already have the option to take extra qualifications alongside their Diploma.


Greater freedom In late June, the second wave of Diploma changes was announced by the school minister. Under the optimistic title “Further Freedoms for Schools and Colleges”, Mr Gibb’s statement outlined the new format for institutions wishing to offer students the Diploma. Under the plans, schools and colleges will


be allowed to choose how many, and which, Diploma lines of learning they offer. In short, students’ entitlement to study for Diplomas had been ended. Te market, it seems, will decide their fate. Mr Gibb said: “We want schools and


colleges to have greater choice over the qualifications they offer – they know what’s


best for their students. We want students to be able to sit the qualification that is right for them, whether Diplomas, the International Baccalaureate, A levels and GCSEs, or iGCSEs, not to be told by government what they can and cannot take.” He claimed that allowing every student the


right to study any Diploma they choose would create “unnecessary bureaucracy and cost”, and said it was not the role of government to make “sweeping assumptions from the centre about what is best for (pupils)”. He emphasised, however, that the changes


did not mean young people presently studying for a Diploma, or who plan to start one in the future, should think again. “I want to reassure them,” he said. “We


want to see how Diplomas work, and learn from them to improve the quality of vocational education in this country. Dr John Dunford, then general secretary


of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the change. He said: “Removing the entitlement to all 14


Diploma lines is a sensible, welcome decision. We strongly support Diplomas but believe their complex structure can be simplified and this is a move in the right direction. “It remains the case that schools and


colleges will need to continue to work together in order to offer a good range of courses for 14 to 19-year-olds. However, heads and principals will be relieved that there is no longer a requirement to offer every Diploma at three levels in every area.”


Simplification In July, further changes designed to simplify the Diploma were announced – and revealed exclusively on Delivering Diplomas’ website, and that of its sister publication, SecEd. Te Department for Education confirmed


that the Gateway process, which determines whether schools and colleges are capable of delivering the 14 to 19 Diplomas, is to be scrapped, meaning that those wishing to offer Diplomas from 2012 onwards will


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