Entry to Higher Education – the Diploma and the Extended Project

The DCSF has published a new press release on the Diploma and the Extended Project.

The new education options available for young people aged 14-19 aim to encourage and inspire young people to continue learning for longer, by widening their choices and helping them get the qualifications they need to succeed in both Higher Education (HE) and employment.

The Diploma is a major part of this national programme of education reform and it is different from what has gone before both in terms of what young people will learn and how they will learn.  Aiming to take a big step forward in bridging the academic/vocational divide, the Diploma is less about ‘chalk and talk’ and more about learning in the classroom and outside it, that is then applied in a practical context.

How will the Diploma help students prepare for Higher Education?

Alongside the content of their Diploma, and the development of personal, learning and thinking skills needed for HE study, all Advanced Diploma students will undertake an Extended Project. The Extended Project is a single, stand-alone piece of work which will require students to use research, critical thinking, planning and evaluation - skills that universities particularly value in undergraduates. It is a compulsory part of the Diploma and is worth half an A Level. It can be taken alongside more traditional routes to HE, and is a qualification in itself. A research project funded by the DCSF and the 1994 Group, published in January 2008, found that the Extended Project element of the Diploma is widely welcomed in principle and in prospect by HE. A large majority of departmental admissions tutors expect to recognise it as a positive attribute when selecting among applicants with similar levels of achievement (both high fliers and those at the borderline).  Tutors also welcomed its potential to enhance study skills, to align with undergraduate modes of study and to provide additional diagnostic evidence when selecting among applicants.

Students doing an Extended Project will be supervised and marked by teachers, to clear standards provided by awarding bodies. To ensure consistency of marking within a centre, schools and colleges will have internal standardisation processes in place, and the awarding bodies will externally moderate the Extended Project to ensure accurate and consistent marking across all schools and colleges. The Extended Project is graded, like A levels and Advanced Diplomas, from A* to E, with A* the highest grade (from 2010).

How is Higher Education engaging with the Diploma and supporting the changes?

There is already support from Higher Education. A number of universities have been directly involved in developing and informing course content for the Diploma at both Foundation and Higher level (for 14-16 year olds) and Advanced level (for 16-18 year olds) for all 17 Diploma lines. For example, Salford University is working with the Diploma Development Partnership on the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment,

The vast majority of universities have also confirmed with UCAS that they will be accepting the Advanced Diploma (which is equivalent to 3.5 A levels) as a route onto their undergraduate courses.  This includes all of the research-intensive Russell Group and 1994 Group universities, and all Million+ and University Alliance universities. In November, Oxford and Cambridge confirmed that they will accept the Diploma in Engineering for entry to undergraduate courses from 2010 and have issued guidance for what Additional and Specialist Learning they would expect a Diploma holder to offer.

Currently, all UCAS member institutions are submitting course-level admissions information to UCAS for 2010 admissions.  This information will include the acceptability of each Advanced Diploma Line of Learning to higher education courses, and guidance for what Additional and Specialist Learning might be required within each Diploma,.  This detailed information will be published in Spring 2009.

For more information about the Diploma or the 14-19 reform programme, please visit www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/

Background information on the Diploma

The Diploma has been designed jointly by schools, colleges, higher education and employers.  From September 2008, 144 areas across the country began offering the Diploma in five subjects and, from September 2009, 72% of schools and 88% of colleges in England will offer in the qualification in ten subjects.

All Diplomas will require a student to achieve a set standard in English, maths and ICT, complete a project and do a minimum of 10 days’ work experience. Diploma students will also acquire skills and knowledge that are essential for success in employment and higher education, both related to the discipline and those which are common, like teamwork, self management and critical thinking skills.

The Diploma will provide students with an integrated programme of study made up of different courses and awards. Foundation and Higher Diploma students can go on to study for the next level of Diploma, take a different type of qualification such as a GCSE, A level or Apprenticeship, or go on to a job with training.

A total of 17 Diplomas will be available in areas across the country by 2011. GCSEs and A levels are also being updated and the number of Apprenticeships is being increased. Taken together, these changes will mean that all young people can choose a qualification that suits their interests and learning style.