New Diploma Resources

Resources for everyone involved with the new diplomas

‘Approved’ college sells diplomas to help foreign students stay in UK

A college accredited by a government-approved body as a “high-quality institution” has been selling diplomas to enable foreign students to extend their stay in Britain.
An investigation by The Times has revealed that the Pakistani-run college has 1,200 international students on its rolls, despite claiming to have only 150. King’s College of [...]

Diplomas invalid for many top university courses

 
Teenagers taking the first of the government’s diplomas will be denied access to a large proportion of undergraduate courses at top UK universities, it emerged today.
Diplomas in construction, engineering, health, IT and media will be awarded in summer 2010 and students will start applying to university this autumn.
New entry requirements published by the university admissions [...]

Advanced Diploma delay announced

The introduction of one of the government’s new Diploma qualifications for England has been delayed by a year.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said the delay was needed to make sure the advanced level science course was the best it could be.
The qualification, equivalent to three A-levels, will now be taught in schools from September 2012, rather [...]

Diploma students set to treble

The number of pupils taking Diploma qualifications in England will treble to 40,000 next September, says the Schools Minister Jim Knight.
This will take numbers up to the levels initially expected for last September, when less than 12,000 students began the first year of the qualification.
The Diplomas, both vocational and academic, are intended as an alternative [...]

Ministers drop pledge to test basic skills at GCSE

Teenagers will not have to pass basic skills tests to get a C grade

Anthea Lipsett
guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 April 2009 10.21 BST
Article history

Ministers have abandoned their pledge to make all teenagers pass basic skills tests in English and maths in order to get a grade C or above at GCSE.
Exams regulator Ofqual has issued revised criteria [...]

Advance warning over new A-levels

Exams regulators have given a warning of potential problems with the new AS and A-level exams this year and next.
The changes involve having four instead of six course units, tougher questions in exams and an A* for top candidates.
Last time A-levels were changed, in 2002, papers in a dozen subjects had to be reviewed and [...]

AS level exams a ‘waste of time’

Ministers were under pressure to scrap AS-level exams last night amid claims they are “killing” teenagers’ education.

 

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor
Last Updated: 7:27PM GMT 19 Mar 2009
Academics and independent schools heads said tests - sat during the first year of A-levels - were getting in the way of teaching.
Many schools are forced to abandon normal [...]

Computer lessons ‘lagging behind’

The popularity of information and communication technology is declining rapidly despite the importance of the subject to adult life, a report says.
In 2007 there were 45% fewer girls taking A-levels in the subject than in 2004, and almost a third fewer boys.
Teaching in some schools is lagging behind and many pupils are taking qualifications of [...]

Adviser ’sorry’ for Diploma jibes

The civil servant in charge of science at England’s universities department has apologised for criticising the new Diplomas as “schizophrenic”.
Professor Adrian Smith, director general of science and research, had said the government should first aim to get GCSEs and A-levels right.
The Times Educational Supplement said he told a lecture audience there was a lack of [...]

New Ofsted inspections attacked

The new short, sharp Ofsted inspections present a “superficial snapshot” of England’s schools and rely too much on test and exam results, a report claims.
The report by the think tank Civitas says poorly trained inspectors take a “tick-box” approach to gauging quality.
Civitas says Ofsted reports - used by many parents to judge schools - do [...]

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