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£23 million boost to rural plans to support the diploma announced

DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0134) issued by The Government News Network on 30 June 2008

- New employers engaged to help deliver subject-based Diplomas
- New guidance to involve independent schools in Diploma

Ministers announced today a £23 million cash injection to help rural areas put in place comprehensive plans to ensure all young people can benefit from the exciting new opportunities offered by the Diploma.

They also welcomed fresh support from employers as plans progress to deliver new Diplomas in Humanities, Languages and Science and announced a new protocol to involve independent schools in the Diploma.

The Diploma is being rolled out gradually and a recent survey shows that there should be no significant transport issues in delivering the first five Diplomas from September. However more work needs to be done to ensure that local authorities and 14-19 partnerships are ready to meet the demand as it builds in future years.

Today the Department published a report on Delivering 14-19 Reforms in Rural Areas and a separate research report which covers the expected impact of the Diploma on local transport provision for the same age group.

The support package announced today includes:

* £20 m in total capital and equipment funding shared equally among the 20 most rural local authorities; and

* £3 m to fund new 14-19 Transport Coordinators for the 40 most rural areas.

Also announced today was progress on the Diploma Development Partnerships (DDPs) for the three subject-based Diplomas in Humanities, Science and Languages, which will start in 2011. These Diplomas will run alongside the 14 sector-based Diplomas, which are being introduced over the next three years.

Around 40 employers are already engaged in the DDPs, including: AstraZeneca; NHS; the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry; ITN; G and J Seddon; Lovell; Kier Group; the Eden Project and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Chairs of the three Diploma partnerships are: Professor Hugh Lawlor (Science), Dr Terry Lamb (Languages) and Sir Keith Ajegbo (Humanities).

Minister for Schools and Learners Jim Knight also announced today that the Department will work with independent schools to produce a protocol that sets out guidance for local authorities, schools and colleges on the arrangements, including fair financial and delivery arrangements, between independent schools and 14-19 consortia.

It builds on work to encourage independent schools to become involved in Diploma delivery. So far 14 independent schools have expressed an interest in Diplomas, including Polam Hall School In Darlington, approved to deliver the Diploma from 2009, and Wellington College, hoping to deliver the Engineering Diploma from the same year.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said:

"The Diploma is one of the biggest and most exciting educational developments of its kind and will fundamentally change the way young people learn in this country as we compete in a fast-moving global economy.

"It is essential that in future all our young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in work and academic study if we are to create a truly world class education system that leaves nobody behind.

"The package of 17 Diplomas, along with our other reforms, will be crucial to us making this vision a reality - as a country we can't afford to let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip.

"I am pleased that high profile employers are signing up to support the development of our new subject-based Diplomas in Science, Humanities and Languages, which will provide both the in-depth subject knowledge and practical skills that business and higher education want."

Minister for Schools and Learners Jim Knight said:

"If our young people are to meet the increased demands of higher education and tomorrow's workplace, the days of spending the whole week learning in the classroom at one site are over.

"The Diploma's unique mix of theory and practice provided in schools and colleges is an essential investment in our children's future.

"Recent research on rural transport issues vindicates our 'no big bang', gradual approach to introducing the Diploma. But we must ensure that in the longer term local communities have the right plans in place to make sure every young person can take advantage of new courses which bring learning to life.

"Local communities are already planning ahead and there is no 'one size fits all' solution to ensuring young people access provision, which is why we are providing the support rural local authorities and partnerships need to draw up plans to meet their own needs.

"New transport coordinators in rural areas will ensure that transport provision to support the Diploma is effective, joined-up and efficient.

"Rural areas are already using their imagination and experience and I want them to be creative - for example using mobile learning centres or investing in IT infrastructure - in using the extra capital funding to help deliver these improvements to local education."

The Department also today published research into the likely impact of the Diploma on transport provision for 14-19 year olds. It looks at how barriers have been overcome and collects current good practice.

The research found that existing arrangements would be able to cater for the first year of the Diploma but that as demand escalated in the future rural and semi-rural areas faced the biggest challenges.

The report recommended that all 14-19 partnerships should develop more coordinated plans for travel between learning centres, using contracted bus services and available public transport to make efficiency savings.

Today's announcement means £1 million in capital funding will be provided to each of the 20 most rural local authorities so they can provide innovative solutions to overcoming barriers to delivering the Diploma in their areas. The areas which will benefit are: Northumberland; North Yorkshire; Cumbria; Herefordshire; Shropshire: Devon; Lincolnshire; Rutland; Wiltshire; East Riding of Yorkshire; Cornwall; Norfolk; Dorset; Somerset; Cambridgeshire; Suffolk; North Lincolnshire; Gloucestershire; Oxfordshire; and Durham

The Department is providing the support that rural partnerships need to build on the creativity and innovation already being shown by local authorities, colleges, schools and employers.

Among the innovative approaches rural areas use to ensure young people have access to learning are: discount ticket initiatives; use of minibuses; transport hubs to link different types of transport; increased use of e-learning and video conferencing; common and block timetabling provided at one site to cut unnecessary journeys; boarding provision; peripatetic teachers and lecturers; schools and colleges creating joint skill centres; and increased collaboration between schools and colleges on transport contracts to make cost savings.

The new 14-19 Transport Coordinators will act as crucial links between the 14-19 team and the transport team within a local authority and will work with colleges and schools to create the best possible transport arrangements.

They will operate in the 40 most rural local authorities: Northumberland; North Yorkshire; Cumbria; Herefordshire; Shropshire: Devon; Lincolnshire; Rutland; Wiltshire; East Riding of Yorkshire; Cornwall; Norfolk; Dorset; Somerset; Cambridgeshire; Suffolk; North Lincolnshire; Gloucestershire; Oxfordshire; Durham; West Berkshire; Warwickshire; East Sussex; Northamptonshire; Derbyshire; Leicestershire; Buckinghamshire; Worcestershire; Staffordshire; Cheshire; Bedfordshire; Hampshire; West Sussex; Isle of Wight; Nottinghamshire; Essex; Kent; Lancashire; Bath and North East Somerset; and North Somerset.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The Chairs of the three Diploma Development Partnerships are:

* Professor Hugh Lawlor (Science DDP Chair) is Professor of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University College and Director of the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. He has also chaired the London Science Challenge group. He was previously the Director of Continuing Professional Development and Research at the Teacher Training Agency and Senior Inspector in the Kent Local Education Authority. He has published extensively on leadership and management, continuing professional development and development planning.

* Sir Keith Ajegbo (Humanities DDP Chair) was Headmaster of Deptford Green School, London, for 20 years. He has been an advisor to the Home Office, and led a review of Diversity and Citizenship education in schools, which reported to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in January 2007. He is a trustee of the Citizenship Foundation and of the British Geographical Society.

* Dr Terry Lamb (Languages DDP Chair) is Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sheffield. He is a leading EU expert on Intercultural Education. He previously spent 16 years teaching languages in secondary schools. A former President of the Association for Language Learning, he was a member of the government's National Languages Steering Group. He is a governor of CILT, the National Centre for Languages.

2. The reports Delivering 14-19 Reforms in Rural Areas and 14-19 Curriculum Offer: Transport-Related Issues and Solutions are available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/rural

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