What are they?

Diplomas are a new qualification available for students to take at Key stage 4 and post 16.  They have been developed by representatives from industry, and education, including higher education.

The first Diplomas will be available from September 2008, and by 2013 there will be 17 Diplomas available across England.  They will be offered alongside GCSEs, A Levels and vocational qualifications.

What Diplomas are available?

The Diplomas will be rolled out nationally in 3 stages from:

September 2008:

Construction and the Built Environment

September 2009:

Business Administration and Finance

September 2010:

Retail

Humanities

Languages

Science

Check with your personal adviser in school as to which are available in your area/school.

What levels of Diploma are there and what do they equate to?

There will be 3 levels of Diploma, plus a Progression Diploma, and UCAS and the QCA have confirmed that

Foundation Diploma (previously Level 1) – is equivalent to 5 GCSEs at Grade A*-G.

Higher Diploma (previously Level 2) –is equivalent to 7 GCSEs at Grade A*-C.

Advanced Diploma (previously Level 3) – is equivalent to 3.5 ‘A’ Levels grade A* -E.

Progression Diploma – is equivalent to 2 ‘A’ Levels, and is aimed at students who do not wish to study for the full Advanced Diploma.

Why study for a Diploma?

Diplomas provide opportunities to widen horizons and perspectives through a broad-based education, covering skills employers want.

It’s important to note that, despite their vocational-sounding names, they are not vocational qualifications.  They won’t qualify those who take them to do a particular job (eg holding a Diploma in Construction will not qualify someone to be a plumber).

However, they do open up choices.  For example, they allow a young person to experience a particular area without being committed to it as a career, alongside other qualifications such as GCSEs and ‘A’ levels.  They can also provide young people with a background understanding to give them the confidence subsequently to apply for and undertake a vocational qualification.  In particular, they could provide an opportunity for young people to try out non-traditional areas.

Choosing to study a Diploma course will not, generally, reduce options in the future, although young people with a particular career in mind (eg medicine) should check with universities before making final decisions.

For more information click on these links below.