New school diplomas: What do they mean for your kids?
Children starting senior school this year will have to stay on until they're 17, raising the school leaving age from 16. Diplomas are also being added to the curriculum from Key Stage 3. So what will this mean for your child?
There has always been a gap between vocational and academic learning, so the diploma has been introduced for 14 to 19-year-olds. The aim of it is a more practical and hands-on way to get the skills and knowledge that employers and universities want.
It's important to know though that diplomas aren't meant to be seen as second best. In the past, people often saw this sort of thing as an alternative for kids who weren't academic. This isn't the case.
Alan Johnson (Former Education Secretary) said diplomas are 'the missing link - creating the mix of vocational and academic education which we've lacked for so long'.
By Catherine Archer
Average rating:
Where to next?
-
A parents' guide to GCSE exam results
-
A parents' guide to the Internet
-
Are we beating the bullies?
-
Child blocks and chat rooms
-
Cracking the Internet code
-
Getting your kids to read
-
Key Stage 3: Age 11-14 - what does this mean for my child?
-
Key Stage 4: Ages 14-16 - what does this mean for my child?
-
School problems and issues
-
School work and exam advice
-
Teachers happy at Sats scrapping for 14-year-olds
