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What is the Diploma?

Whether you've got a career in mind, hope to go to university or just want to see what's out there, the Diploma is the perfect way to explore your options. It's a new qualification for 14 to 19 year olds and offers a mix of classroom learning and hands-on experience, all designed to prepare you for wherever you want to go in life.

All the Diploma programmes are two year courses.

You can study a Diploma at three levels: Foundation, Higher and Advanced.

In Years 10 and 11 you can study:

• The Foundation Diploma, which is equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades D to G
• The Higher Diploma, which is equivalent to 7 GCSEs at grades A* to C
• Students in Years 10 and 11 will usually spend two days on Diploma study, and the rest on GCSE and other core national curriculum subjects.

In Years 12 and 13 you can study:

• The Advanced Diploma, which is equivalent to 3.5 A levels

In Years 12 and above, students will spend most of their time focusing on the Diploma. A usual week for an Advanced Diploma student might include practical workshops or master classes, work experience, learning in the classroom and study at a local college.