Why was a change needed?
The Leicht report of 2006 highlighted the need for a demand led skills system. An improved skills base is vital to delivering more productive and profitable private companies and better performing public services. The aim is for the UK to become a world leader in skills by 2020.

We are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented. Moreover, today’s young people will compete in a global marketplace amongst countries whose populations are growing far more rapidly than ours. The average number of jobs a person will have in a lifetime is now 25. Developing transferrable skills that young people can use in all walks of life, including further and higher education, is crucial.

 

 

What are the Diplomas?

Diplomas will run alongside GCSEs and A Levels from 2009. By 2013, students will be entitled to choose any of the 17 Diploma subject areas, or ‘lines of learning’ offered. Not all schools will be able to run all 17 lines of learning, which means schools will need to work together in innovative ways to teach through educational partnerships.

The Diploma has been developed with the input of over 5,000 employers and higher education institutions who have been very clear about the sorts of skills they need the workforce of the future to have.

The Longcroft Partnership of schools and colleges will run the GCSE equivalent Foundation and Higher Diploma from 2009. We will run the level 3 equivalent Advanced Diploma from September 2010.

 

 

What is the new Creative and Media Diploma?
The Diploma in Creative and Media is an exciting new qualification for young people in England aged 14-19, who want to learn about some of the UK's most dynamic industries, such as performing arts, media and art and design.


The Diploma covers a rich range of disciplines including performance, music technology and fashion. Students of the Diploma will gain knowledge, experience and skills enabling them to master processes common to all creative industries. There are also opportunities to specialise.


The Diploma is different from other subjects because students will be taught across an educational partnership so that they can take advantage of the best specialist facilities and teachers available to them. Students in The Longcroft Partnership will have lessons at Longcroft School and Performing Arts College, Hornsea School and Language College, The Market Weighton School, Bishop Burton College, Hull College, East Riding College, The University of Hull and East Riding Adult Education Service. 
 

 

Why was the Creative and Media Diploma introduced?


From September 2009, the Diploma in Creative and Media will provide an alternative route to GCSEs. Studying for a Diploma will not be like taking a conventional academic course. It introduces different ways of learning and a broader range of subjects within one qualification than have been taught before.
The close links with the business world prepare students for life after education. The freedom to make choices about their studies within the Diploma will keep students motivated and encourage them to continue learning for longer.


Young people will learn important skills for the job market such as managing their time and working as a team. They will develop the ability to analyse, create and communicate. And they will study the creative industries as businesses, covering film to fashion, advertising to animation.

 


Will students still be able to go on to further or higher education?
The recruiting universities have been very enthusiastic about the Diplomas and are firmly committed to accepting them as entry critera for their courses. Many have been involved in the development of the Diplomas. They say that the skills developed, such as problem solving, independence and self confidence will create more effective undergraduates.

Within the last week, Oxford and Cambridge have announced that they are happy to accept the Engineering Diploma at level 3 in place of A levels, as long as it is studied with A level Physics.

If a student is interested in a particular course or institution, UCAS have a complete list of statements by the universities on their views of the Diploma. Visit www.ucas.org.uk

“We support Diplomas for their potential to extend opportunity to more young people, enabling them to take advantage of a high quality university education at Warwick and elsewhere, regardless of background.”
Nigel Thrift, Vice Chancellor, University of Warwick

“We need to give our youngsters every possible chance of fulfilling their potential and I am delighted to welcome this imaginative development. The Diploma will sit alongside A levels
to provide us with an entire suite of entry qualifications for Higher Education.”
Prof. Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor, University of Leeds

 

What are the progression routes?


Diplomas to not restrict students to a certain pathway – they develop transferrable skills that can be used in any role. The Creative and Media Diploma, in particular, will develop creativity and problem solving, values prized by almost all employers, especially in these times of economic uncertainty.

 

 

What sort of career can my son or daughter have after studying the Diploma?


There are a huge range of career roles your son or daughter might take up within the Creative and Media Industries, either at the end of their course or after progression to Higher education. The Creative and Media Diploma will be recognised by universities and the level 3 Diploma will attract ‘UCAS’ points in the same ways as A levels.

 

Some career pathways include:

 

Photographer
Artist
Actor
Director
Musician
Composer
Computer Game Composer
DJ
Broadcaster
Journalist
Writer
Web Site Designer
Singer
Graphic Designer
Textile Artist
Animator
Computer Game Developer
Fashion Designer

 

However, bear in mind that’s it’s also quite possible your son or daughter will do a job that hasn’t yet been invented. The Diploma ‘future-proofs’ a young person’s skills by developing core skills such as critical and independent thinking, organisation and self motivation, critical analysis, team working and many more. These skills can be applied to almost any workplace situation. Furthermore, students still study core subjects such as English, Maths and IT and must successfully pass ‘Functional Skills’ qualifications in order to pass their Diploma.

 

 

Is it a vocational course?

No, the Diploma is applied learning. Studying the Diploma will not train a student to perform a certain job role (e.g. a camera operator) but it will give them experience of what it’s like to work in a modern workplace.

For example, local employers will help Diploma staff write coursework by posing real life commercial or entrepreneurial problems they have faced. This might, for example, be attracting young people to visit a tourist attraction. The students will be posed a brief set by an external client (say, The Deep.) They will need to research the organisation and target audience and produce a portfolio of marketing materials to meet the brief – this could include a new website, short film for the website, dance or drama piece, a radio advert with jingles and so on. This portfolio of work will be completed as group work and will take one full day per week, rather than individual lessons. Students will need to develop their Personal Learning and Thinking Skills whilst completing the brief – such as organisation, self discipline, creativity, problem solving, group work and so on. The portfolio of marketing materials will then be presented back to the client who will offer feedback. The students will then evaluate how successfully they have met the original brief.

All Diploma projects will be set with a client and target audience in mind. Through meeting the needs of these groups on a practical way, the students will be constantly researching industry practice whilst maintaining academic rigour. This is not an easy course and is appropriate for students of all abilities, including high achievers.

 

 

Is it here to stay?


Yes. There is a long term commitment to running more contemporary skills based learning models, that reflect the modern world of work.

 

 

What are “Functional Skills?”


Functional skills are the everyday skills of English, Maths and ICT. Students will continue to study the core GCSE subjects, but Functional Skills will be expected to be woven through the Diploma Principal Learning and other subjects. For example, in order to produce a video about teenage attitudes to politics, students will survey other teenagers about their opinions, analyse the results, produce graphs and charts and use the results to structure their research. They will present their findings on a website or blog, practising their Maths, English and ICT functional skills in a real world context. The intention is to practice and develop these important skills as well as demonstrate their relevance in the world outside the classroom.

Students will not be able to pass their Diploma at Higher level unless they have achieved level 2 Functional Skills. From 2010 students must pass level 2 Functional Skills to achieve grades A* - C at GCSE.

 

 

Where will the students be taught?


The following schools and colleges are part of ‘The Longcroft Partnership’ and our students will be taught in each of these institutions:

Students will work on 10 week modules at a school and college partner – and will then rotate to the other schools and colleges within the partnership.

 

 

How will my son or daughter benefit from doing the Creative and Media Diploma?

The Diploma has been developed with the input from local employers who know exactly what sort of skills they need in their future employees. Combine this with top notch teaching from some of the best specialist teachers in the region, and your child will have the opportunity to follow an innovative and challenging course that will prepare them for work or further study.
Students will develop their personal skills through 
 

 

How many GCSEs are Diplomas equivalent to?

There are three levels of Diploma:


Usually starting in Year 10: 

 

 

Usually starting in Year 12 or above :
 


Will a Diploma help my child get a good job?
Yes. Because Diplomas are designed to help students gain the skills they will need in the
workplace, they aim to create self-aware, confident, work-oriented recruits whom employers
will value. Over 5,000 businesses have been involved so far in developing Diplomas.


Major employers such as Toyota, Vodafone and Npower are actively involved in championing
the Diploma. Students will get the opportunity to learn in different settings, including at least
10 days experience in the workplace. They’ll get an insight into what work is really like, helping
them make decisions about their future– and learn skills employers prize, like punctuality,
self discipline, customer service and project management. 

 

The important thing to remember is that a Diploma can help your child make decisions about the future, while keeping their options open.

 

 

How is a Diploma different from an Apprenticeship?

An Apprenticeship will prepare young people for one specific job role (e.g. a plumber). Studying the Creative & Media Diploma means that they will develop the skills needed by the industry as well as gain experience of working with employers. This maximises the chance of them getting a job within the creative and media industries, whether they wish to work at 16 or continue on to further study.


However, the skills students develop are still very valuable for other courses and jobs in different industries if they change your mind about their future. Students are not committed to work in the Creative and Media industries if they change your mind.

 

 

What are the advantages of working at other schools and colleges? Will it be expensive?

By working with creative and media specialists, students can take advantage of the best resources, equipment and expertise across the partnership. Schools and colleges work together to identify areas of strength and will only offer this element to all students in the partnership, rather than having to offer a general course. Local employers work with schools and colleges to help them form rigorous, contemporary courses and they also will work with students within school and work experience placements to deepen their understanding of the industry and practical skills.


Transport will be organised by your child’s school on their behalf and it will not cost you anything.

 

 

How can I be sure that my son or daughter will receive a good standard of education in other schools?

The Headteachers and Principles of all the partners, their senior teams and the local authority will agree a clear method of monitoring quality of teaching and learning across the partnership before the Diploma  begins. This agreement will take into consideration good practice as observed by OFSTED and other relevant bodies.

 

Teaching and learning will be observed and evaluated according to this agreement to ensure that all Diploma students receive excellent an educational experience of the highest quality. Feedback, ongoing training, coaching, self reflection and clear action planning will ensure the ongoing success of the Diploma at the Longcroft Partnership.

 

 

Will there be an induction for students?

We accept that the Creative and Media Diploma will be extremely demanding for young people - especially because they will be put outside of their comfort zone by having to work in schools and colleges that they are unfamilar with, and with employers and other adults. We are committed to ensuring that students are supported through this unfamiliar and emotionally challenging time by a rigorous induction programme and excellent pastoral support in their home schools.

 

What is the selection criteria?

The Creative and Media Diploma is an exciting, innovative way of studying and we are expecting demand to be very high. Indeed, nationally, the Creative and Media Diploma has had the largest take up of all the diploma lines of learning.

 

To ensure that we offer an excellent, high quality Diploma we need to limit groups in this first instance. The Diploma is a challenging qualification that places additional expectations on students than the traditional GCSE route. For example, students will be expected to undertake more independent study, travel more, interact with key adults in locations that, at times, may be unfamiliar and, at times, work additional or unsociable hours (for example, they could be asked to work for employers beyond school hours.)

Consequently we will be prioritising students who:

 

What do employers think?

The Diploma has been written with the assistance of over 5,000 national employers. The involvement of local employers is crucial to the successful delivery of the Diploma.

“Rolls-Royce welcomes the Diploma is a relevant and innovative qualification for young people of all abilities. With its emphasis on both academic and practical learning, the
Diploma will provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, in employment or at university, without restricting their options.”
Margaret Gildea, Executive Vice President of Human Resources – Operations and Skills and Capability, Rolls-Royce

 

"Diplomas offer students both theoretical and practical learning which can lead them to either higher education or employment. I believe the strength of this particular qualification lies in the employer engagement aspect of the course. By working closely with schools and colleges, businesses can engage and motivate more young people to help them develop their skills and employability and ultimately make them our employees of the future."
Simon Taylor, Managing Director, TAS Communications Ltd, Beverley

What can Employers do?


The Diploma in Creative and Media is a challenging new qualification for 14 to 19 year olds in England, designed to give them knowledge, skills and experience needed by employers. In the context of the Diploma, by employer we mean any company, organisation, practitioner or freelancer that can support the delivery of this qualification.


The Diploma combines theoretical study with projects and activities that bring young people into contact with the world of work. To bring the Diploma to life, employer involvement is essential through the provision of work related learning.


How will Employers benefit?


There is a strong business case for employer involvement in work related learning and the Diploma in Creative and Media.


If you as an employer decide to get involved in the delivery of the Diploma, you will be influencing tomorrow's employees and practitioners, helping to ensure that they have the right technical and functional skills for the future. You will also be contributing directly to the creation of talent in the sector. This will have a positive impact on the sector's economy as that talent grows and becomes productive.


Your involvement will provide students with an understanding of the vibrancy and variety of the creative industries, as well as:

Why should I support the Diploma?


Many employers say young people do not have the skills and qualities they require. Having confidence in presenting ideas, communicating clearly and working well in teams are skills that are integral to the Diploma.


The Creative and Media Diploma also expects students to think creatively, solve problems and work with growing independence. Your involvement is central to the future success of the Diploma, so that learning is based on the “real world”. This is a new opportunity for you to share in the successful development of our young people as skilled and confident future employees or business leaders.


How can I get involved?


Half of the 'Principal Learning' component of the Diploma must be delivered through work related learning activities. You could get involved by:

 

 

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