New Diploma Resources

Resources for everyone involved with the new diplomas

Key skills remain for a short period.

Apprenticeship providers can continue using the existing Key Skills programme for literacy and numeracy until March 2011 after protests about the qualifications’ replacement, Functional Skills. The Association of Learning Providers objected that the Functional Skills programme is more classroom- and paper-based, whereas earlier programmes were integrated with practical skills, making them more suitable for apprentices.

Key Skills reprieved for apprentices only.

Taken from the TES on 16th July bu Jonathan Wells of Guroo Functional Skills
Key skills, which are being phased out in favour of functional skills, have won a stay of execution as the Government seeks further discussions on the way forward in apprenticeships.
John Hayes, the further education minister, told the annual conference of the Association [...]

New GCSE course in personal finance teaches pupils how to manage money

This should really be part of PLTS in the diploma in my view - Jonathan Wells Guroo Functional Skillsl
I used to switch off when the business news came on GMTV in the morning as I was getting ready for school,” confesses Emily, a Year 8 pupil at Coloma Convent School in the south London suburb [...]

Is the end of BSF a bad thing for diplomas?

Jonathan Wells of Guroo Functional Skills writes
The withdrawal of the Building Schools for the Future programme is likely to bring forward a number of content projects in schools strangely in my opinion!
BSF was often the “get in the way” for lots of developments. Because it was so big and took such a lot of time [...]

Academies veer towards vocational courses despite doubts over worth

Published in The TES on 25 June, 2010 | By: William Stewart
Official figures show impact of non-GCSE qualifications on league table standings
Academies are significantly more likely than other secondaries to use vocational and other non-GCSE qualifications that boost their league table positions, new Government figures reveal.
Among the most popular alternatives being turned to by schools [...]

TES letters 4 June

Skills leap too far
News | Published in FE Focus on 4 June, 2010 | By: Carol Taylor
Section:
News
John Linfoot is misled by the necessarily short letter from me to which he responds (“Tests must get real”, Letters, May 7).
I was not defending specific literacy and numeracy tests: I was pointing out that the jump from Skills [...]

ASCL advocate a new general diploma

Point 6 of the open letter from ASCL to the new education secretary is:
6. Strengthen post-14 qualifications by introducing a general diploma with a broad core of knowledge and skills.
I like the sound of that - Jonathan Wells

New work experience in Diplomas booklet

http://www.qcda.gov.uk/resources/assets/QCDA_10_4573_Work_experience_supporting_Diploma_programmes.pdf
Follow the link above for a new document from QCDA on work experience in diplomas.

DCSF research report into diplomas

Posted by Jonathan Wells of Guroo.
NATIONAL EVALUATION OF DIPLOMAS:
The first year of delivery
A Summary of the DCSF Research Report – Ref DCSF-RR220, March 2010 DSS
09/10
38
1. INTRODUCTION
In January 2008, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the University of Exeter to conduct the national evaluation of [...]

Microsoft apprentice scheme

Microsoft launches apprenticeship scheme for 3,000 young people
Rebecca Thomson Computer weekly and posted by Jonathan Wells of Guroo Functional Skills
Thursday 22 April 2010 16:21
Microsoft has launched an IT apprenticeship scheme which could see thousands of young people employed at the software giant’s partner and customer companies.
In the coming weeks 100 young people will start on [...]

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