£81m to prepare teachers for the 14-19 overhaul

Department for Children, Schools and Families - 03/06/2008

The multi-million pound package for 2008-09 follows funding to train those who will be delivering the Diploma this September. It will ensure teachers and leaders in secondary schools and colleges are fully trained to teach the qualification as it continues to be rolled out to more secondary schools and colleges.

Diplomas are being offered for the first time this September in a small group of schools and colleges but will eventually be available across the country. Higher level Diplomas will be worth up to three and a half A Levels.

Speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders / Association of Colleges 14-19 conference, Jim Knight said:

“The success of the changes will be down to how they are delivered and presented to young people. This can only be done by teachers on the ground and we are relying on them to make this work. That is why today I’m announcing £81m to help prepare teachers for the new Diploma.

“It is vital that the workforce is ready for the changes we are making to how children learn and the options they have after the age of 14. We shouldn’t be in any doubt that these changes are huge. Young people will have an unprecedented range of options available to them as they move towards university, college or on the job training. It is a major stepping stone in preparing for the new participation age of 18, which begins in 2015.

“Diplomas are supported by industry and over 100 universities and I believe they are exactly what is needed to enthuse those young people who feel that more traditional qualifications are not for them.“

ASCL General Secretary Dr John Dunford said:

“The Diploma is one of the biggest changes to the secondary curriculum in this decade and will have long-lasting implications for how teachers and staff work with each other and with other institutions. I am pleased that the government has recognised this with significant funding for training and staff development. The emphasis on flexibility is particularly welcome and will enable each consortium to tailor programmes according to its own needs.”

Maggie Scott, Director of Learning and Quality for the Association of Colleges, said:

“The Association of Colleges very much welcomes the further support provided by government to underpin Diploma development. It is right that the support becomes more tailored to suit all the individuals involved in Diploma delivery, building on existing good practice. We also welcome support for the partnerships so that Diplomas quickly establish themselves as a serious pathway for young people and that the best of school and college facilities and expertise is now available to them.”

In 2008-2009 the funding will provide:

• two core workshops for all Diploma practitioners;
• 3,000 days of optional training for Diploma teachers and heads of qualification;
• training for 3,000 functional skills teachers;
• 1,800 days of leadership support - consultants will help schools and colleges run their consortia for delivering the Diploma; and
• 3,600 coaching sessions for leaders and managers.

The contract to deliver Diploma training has been tendered and awarded to the Specialist Schools and Academy Trust. They will be working with other national agencies to offer tailored and flexible support to those delivering Diplomas and functional skills:

• National College of School Leadership (NCSL) and the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) are offering support on leadership and change management;
• Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) and Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) are providing support for Diploma practitioners;
• QIA and National Strategies are preparing functional skills practitioners;
• the National Assessment Agency (NAA) is responsible for training exams officers in assessment administration for the new qualifications;
• the Training and Development Agency (TDA) and Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) provide continuous professional development support for Diploma practitioners. They are developing a framework for training supply, ensuring that staff have the necessary generic skills and knowledge to teach vocational subjects, and developing and implementing routes for initial teacher and support staff training; and
• the QCA provides guidance on qualifications and on curriculum delivery.