As Secondary school leaders ready themselves for a year of massive change, the NAHT is working hard to ensure its members have the best possible support, especially when it comes to preparing for the new Diplomas.
“We are very supportive of the government’s determination to bring the curriculum into the 21st Century and we recognise the importance of ensuring the new Diplomas succeed”, says Mick Brookes, General Secretary, “but inevitably with systemic change of this magnitude, there are bound to be doubts and uncertainties.”
The young people about to enter Year 7 are the first cohort required to remain in education or training beyond the age of 16; the success of the Diploma will be key to ensuring that the extension of the participation age as a whole is a success.
The combination of academic skills and vocational training is the key to successfully motivating more 16-year olds, and keeping them engaged with education. This will only happen if they are hooked on learning. This is a major challenge to schools where too many students still opt to leave the system at the earliest opportunity.
It is for this reason that the NAHT wants to work with government to ensure that the practical, operational and financial aspects of Diploma development are in place for its success.
The NAHT therefore seeks clarity about:
- The scope and capacity of funding arrangements to ensure that resources provide the capacity to sustain development.
- The Minerva IT platform. This is essential to aggregating Diploma credits at the end of the first year of teaching, and our members must be assured that it will be properly tested and delivered successfully.
- The way in which students and parents are to be advised of future career options that will now have to be made in Year 9.
- How transport logistics in rural areas will be managed to guarantee the same accessibility to modules as enjoyed by students in urban areas. There are further questions about the organisation and supervision of students in transit.
The success of this project is going to require positive relationships between schools, further and higher education institutions and industry. NAHT welcomes the Principals’ Professional Council (PPC) into its ranks to strengthen the links between its Secondary colleagues and FE/HE institutions. A successful interface between the education community and industry requires:
- A system of CRB checking for employees in industry who are working with young people, that is fit for purpose and not burdensome for employers;
- Equitable access to training opportunities in industry for students with special educational needs, and the support necessary for this;
- Adequate opportunities for placements in industry to meet a significantly increased demand for work-related learning and work experience.
School leaders have the scars to show for policy change and development without sufficient thought being given to issues of capacity and sustainability. Schools have welcomed the increase in income, but the other side of the balance sheet is expenditure. The requirement to use school funding to fuel policy change has led to little increase in spare capacity. Tighter budgets over the next three years will make implementation of the ambitious 14-19 agenda challenging. The introduction of the Diplomas must not lead to the transfer of funds away from the rest of the school system.
The NAHT looks forward to continuing positive working relationships between DCSF, QCA and industry and to be in the forefront of championing this audacious new curriculum that will be vital not only to the success of this nation as an economic power but to the life chances of each and every young person.
