Year 9 Options - anyone know anything about Diploma's

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We have just found out that as well as the usual gcse's our local high schools are offering these new Diploma's that are supposed to sit alongside GCSE's & A-levels. They are fairly new but are being rolled out nationally over the next couple of years. The idea is that you do the standard gcse's (Science, maths, English etc) but instead of choosing other subjects you do a diploma (7 areas available - my son is looking at Engineering or ICT) which equates to between 5-7 gcse's. You can then do a further diploma or standard A'levels in 6th form.

I'm just a bit concerned about how these diploma's would be regarded by universities. Will they be thought of as easy subjects, and reduce his chance of a place at uni ? Would he be better off taking standard gcse's.

It is going to be like the 16+ - an exam that exists for a year or two and is then abandoned, and no-one in 10 years time will know anything about them. Avoid like the plague.

If he is academic, avoid them. Universities don't like them and they will need considerable tweeking before they are acceptable.

Thanks for the replies.
Ladymuck - I was worried that if the government changes in the next election, then they might pull the plug on these diplioma's.
Lilymaid - Thats what I suspected, do you know why universities don't like them? All the literature says they were developed with universities? I'm not disgreeing with you, I just want to know the facts before my son decides. My son is very clever, and only the top children will be able to take the Higher diploma.

It is hard to be sure exactly how things will be in a few years time but at the moment the diplomas that are currently available are not very well regarded in many of the better unis and students who have taken then have limited their options.

I'd advise taking a guess about what subject your ds might want to do in 4 years time and then email the admissions tutors in the best few unis in the country to see what their current policy is.

In general, sticking with the older qualifications is the safer option so only switch to the newer qualification if you are convinced that there is a strong reason to do so.

For the current view on diplomas of the more academic universities see this Russell Group statement and this 1994 Group statement. I wouldn't let my DC take an exam that would only be acceptable to 40% of the courses at the larger top universities and 55% of the courses at the smaller top universities. I'd wait until those figures are nearer 100% as they presumably are for A Levels.

I agree with everyone else, I would avoid them
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5262966/Content-of-A-level-exam-replacements-is-dire.htm l

Cambridge to accept Engineering applications from Advanced Diploma students

www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/press/dpp/2008120206

The above may be of interest- sorry about the link!

Don't. Touch. With. Bargepole.

Stick with safe traditional subjects if you want to keep open the possibility of a Russell Group university.

Thanks for all the replies. I have not had time to study all the linked articles, but there still seems to be a lot of uncertainty around the diploma's.
I guess if my ds is really keen on the diploma, he could do it for 2 years then take traditional 'A' levels, if the diploma's are still not being widely accepted.
Bellabellabella - thanks for the link, it's nice to know that at least Cambridge are accepting them for Engineering.

I'd be careful even about that as you may find the school 6th form/6th form college doesn't accept the diploma as entry for A levels - we wouldn't for instance take a pupil who had btec in science at level 2 (GCSE level ie 16 years) onto AS level biology, chemistry or ohysices - they would be pointed in the direction of the level 3 btec course instead - which isn't accepted ofr unis for subjects such as medicine/dentistry/pure sciences etc.
If he is academic then honestly you need to be going for a good number of decent GCSE's followed by AS/A2 in recognisable subjects.

(i currently teach in a tough comp, a few years ago was teaching in a uni so a few from both sides)

agree with Loshad that you should be careful even at the gcse level.
many unis have gcse requirements as well as a-level requirements which may (or may not) be met by the diploma.

You also need to be careful to check which teachers will be teaching the various parts of the diploma as it may not be satisfactory say if a Design & Technology teacher has to teach the Maths and Physics parts of an Engineering diploma (unless that teacher also specialises in those subjects).
You also need to try to assess the academic abilities of others taking the diploma course. If the clever students aren't taking the course, your DC might find it boring.
As far as universities are concerned, the Cambridge Engineering Department though willing to accept Diplomas are quite prescriptive about the type of work required in the Diploma.

My son is in the second year of his ICT diploma and I wish he had never started! He wanted to do ICT and wasn't interested in studying anything else at A level so he is doing the progression diploma. However, although it is in theory equivalent to 2.5 A levels, in practice it isn't. The points awarded don't tend to tie in with those required by universities ( ie a B grade is equivalent to 250 points aand a C is 200 points with nothing in between although most universities seem to require points in units of 20, eg 220, 240,260 etc so he seems to be always under the number required) many universities won't even consider them, and success is dependent on passing EVERY element of his course, so he could fail the whole thing if he doesn't pass his English functional skills. The course tutors don't seem to know what they are meant to be teaching ( my son initially failed his functional skills IT exam, even though he is actually very good at IT as they had not covered any of the curriculum!) no-one seems to know what level he is working at, his tutors have said "possibly a B, C or D!" The whole thing seems totally chaotic. Younger son will be sticking to 4 bog-standard A levels, I'm not going through this again

very useful thread.
DD is in year 9 at a UK boarding school and got an email a few days ago about options which they need to choose in the spring term. The letter said they would send more information out at the beginning of term but mentioned these new diplomas which I am very unsure about. Not sure I want my DD being a guinea pig

My daughter is in Year 10 and is currently taking the Creative and Media Higher Diploma. She is academic and an able student but she is interested in a career in Media. We think that the diploma will give her a taste of what working in that world would be like BEFORE she has to make any career limiting decisions. She is taking 6 other GCSEs alongside the Diploma which will allow her to access A level courses in College, regardless of the outcome of her Diploma studies. I agree with you and other responders, that the Diploma is not widely accepted at this stage, so taking this line allows us to keep all our daughter's options open while allowing her to do something that is new, interesting and appeals to her.

By the way - she is LOVING it!

DS1's school told parents and pupils not to touch them with a barge pole.