They key website for keeping in touch with development of the new diploma qualifications for 14 to 19 year olds is www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19. The materials available include scripts and presentations for publicising the diplomas to potential students, for the ‘lines of learning’ that will be available from 2008.
The second edition of the diploma structures and standards document can be found at http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_10367.aspx. At the end of October, three additional diplomas were announced. These differ from the 14 already announced because they will not be based around a specific vocational sector. Instead, they will focus on science, languages and humanities as broad subjects. It is said they will “incorporate the best of existing GCSE and A-Levels qualifications along with new specially-designed content”. They will be available for the first time in 2011. It was also confirmed that an A-Level review scheduled for 2008 will now be postponed and that a first review of 14-19 qualifications will instead take place in 2013. The DCSF press release states, “All Diploma students will be able to communicate and analyse data at the highest levels.”
