Diploma students ‘failing in basic skills’

20 Aug 09
Pupils studying for the government’s new 14-19 diplomas achieved ‘disappointing results’ in the ‘functional skills’ part of their courses, Ofsted has found
By Helen Mooney

20 August 2009

Pupils studying for the government’s new 14-19 diplomas achieved ‘disappointing results’ in the ‘functional skills’ part of their courses, Ofsted has found.

The wathdog’s report, published on August 17, found students had a lack of skills in English and maths among other areas.

The diplomas, which were introduced in September 2008 as an alternative to traditional GCSEs and A-levels, are being phased in over four years.

The inquiry found that half of the 23 schools and consortiums offering diplomas had not established an ‘effective, co-ordinated approach to teaching the functional skills’. This meant the quality of the teaching and learning of these skills varied considerably.

It said that, as a result, many students did not appreciate that skills in maths and English were an important part of the diplomas.

The inquiry also found that the additional and specialised learning part of the diplomas was also underdeveloped in almost all of the areas visited.

Ofsted has recommended that the consortiums teaching diploma courses put in place ‘rigorous procedures’.

These are to ‘assure the quality of collaborative provision, co-ordinate their approaches to functional skills, and link this work more closely to the principal learning in diploma courses’, the watchdog added.

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