1. 14-19 Diplomas What are they and what impact have they had upon the sector?

2. They are… (1) Not: a simple, undemanding or occupational programme of study easy to understand an alternative to apprenticeship (Diploma learning is not ‘work-based’, but ‘applied’) a dead-end: progression through Levels 1-3 is integral to their design wholly convincing to leading universities starting all at once starting on a large scale necessarily here to stay…

3. They are… (2) a successor to GNVQ ambitious, multi-component programmes heavily sponsored by the state endorsed / co-designed by some employer groups and universities complex to manage difficult to ‘deliver’ (i.e. teach) in their first term of operation in competition at L3 with diploma-style awards such as the IB

4. Diploma design 17 ‘Lines of Learning’ (i.e. subject areas)  2008: IT  ; Society Health & Development  ; Engineering  ; Construction & Built Environment  ; Creative & Media .  2009: Environmental & Land Based  ; Manufacturing & Product Design; Hair & Beauty  ; Business Administration & Finance; Hospitality .  2010: Public Services; Sport & Active Leisure; Retail Business; Travel & Tourism.  2011: Humanities*, Languages*, Science*.  starting in Exeter in 2009 * Conservative Party pledged to abolish 3 levels:  L1: Foundation Diploma (600 guided learning hours, ‘equivalent, in terms of average length of study, to five GCSEs’).  L2: Higher Diploma (800 guided learning hours, ‘equivalent, in terms of average length of study, to seven GCSEs’).  L3: ‘Progression’ Diploma and ‘Advanced’ Diploma Three main components:  Principal learning  Generic learning  Additional and specialist learning Extended Diploma – available from 2011 for the ‘most able learners’ at each level

5. Detailed example The Level 3 Diploma

6. Impact on the FE sector (1) Complex to manage (i)  facilities  curricula  staffing  timetabling  assessment Complex to manage (ii)  logistics  group sizes  teaching locations* * City of Exeter programme of provision : 2008 IT → West ExeSociety Health & Development → St James’ Engineering → St Luke’sConstruction & Built Environment → College Creative & Media → ISCA 2009: Hair & Beauty → CollegeHospitality → West Exe / College Environmental & Land Based → St Luke’s / Bicton

7. Key issues / prospects IAG – especially in Year 9 Patterns of provision: In 2008, of 97 local authorities, the incidence of the first five ‘lines’ is:  Creative & Media (62); Engineering (60); IT (45); Construction & Built Environment (44); Society Health & Development (39) Take-up  Original Govt. goal in 2008: 40,000  Summer 2008 estimate: 20,300  October 2008: confirmed starts: 11,490, of which:  8,128 pre-16  3,362 post-16  1,416 at L3 (11 per-HEI if all were to progress) Cost: start-up = £55m. Rise and rise of the IB?