Consultation - Promoting Achievement, Valuing Success - a
Strategy for 14-19 Qualifications in England
From: DCSF
Date published: 31 March 2008
Response due: 23 June 2008
Semta response submitted: 23 June 2008
Summary
There are two key parts to the proposed Strategy:
- a new process for deciding which
qualifications may be publicly funded in England,
- the continued development and
refinement of the four key pathways to bring into these frameworks
the best of what exists outside.
The government plans to adopt new criteria against which to
assess the qualifications that can be taken by students in the
maintained sector. In practice, these criteria will mean that
a qualification will not be funded as
free-standing if:
- there are other qualifications
within the national suites which can meet the needs of young
people, employers, universities and wider society as well as this
qualification.
- the effectiveness of the
qualifications within the national suites in meeting these needs
has been demonstrated in practice in a sufficiently wide range of
circumstances.
- the qualifications within
the suites are nationally available.
A new external body – the Joint
Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval will be
established and made up of representatives of HE, employers and all
parts of the education sector to advise the Secretary of State on
whether qualifications meet these criteria.
The government is introducing an
entitlement to all 17 Diplomas (including Science,
Languages and Humanities) for 16-18 year-old learners from 2013.
The government will consider in 2013 whether the entitlement should
be extended in this way for 14-16 year-old learners. The review
will consider how Diplomas, GCSEs and A levels and any other
general qualifications publicly funded for young people at that
point, are combining to meet the needs of young people, employers
and universities.
Once Diplomas are available across
the country from 2013, Applied A levels will no longer be
offered in England. Advanced Extension Awards, which
will overlap in purpose with the stretch and challenge being
introduced at A level will be withdrawn when the new A levels
come in this year.
The proposals make it easier for learning achieved through
an Apprenticeship to count towards a Diploma (and
vice versa).
The Foundation Learning Tier will be
piloted from September 2008. In this document, the government is
consulting on whether all young people learning at Entry Level or
Level 1 should have access to an appropriate Progression Pathway
within the Foundation Learning Tier.
Next steps
The government will continue to develop its 14-19 strategy.
Documents and Links
Semta's response
The consulation paper
The governnment summary of responses to
the consultation
Semta represents the view of our employers across government and
the media. If you are an employer in the science,
engineering, or manufacturing technology sectors, we welcome your
views at policy@semta.org.uk
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Consultations
7 November 2008