TAUNTON’S COLLEGE CURRICULUM 2000 Briefing for Higher Education on changes to the post-16 curriculum in England, Wales and N. Ireland Jenny Fitton Principal, Taunton’s College

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE 1999 Situation for students with 5 or more GCSE passes at C+  2, 3 or more subjects at Advanced level, A combined with AS or GCSEs  GNVQ Advanced (including key skills)  BTEC National

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Lifelong learning agenda Key priority of government spending review Retention and achievement rates ‘Qualifying for success’ Broader, more demanding programmes Raising Standards

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Curriculum 2000 Aims  Broaden sixth form curriculum  Unitise programmes of study  Develop Key Skills  Assessment / qualification possible at end of year 1

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE National Qualifications Framework Three broad categories of qualification: GeneralVocationally Occupational related GCE A, ASVocational A NVQ and AS (formerly Advanced GNVQ

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Available Options  Changes at Advanced level  Changes in GNVQ Advanced framework  Key Skills Qualification  BTEC National unchanged

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE GCE Advanced Level changes  AS in Year 1 3 units the first half of an A Level  A2 in Year 2 3 units  Full Advanced = AS + A2 6 units  4 subjects at AS the norm  3 A2 the likely norm  Key Skills Qualification - to level 3

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE GNVQ Advanced Changes  Full Award (double) - 12 units (2 Vocational A Levels)  Single Award - 6 units (1 A Level) in 1 or 2 years  Part Award - 3 units (AS)  Grading awarded A to E, to bring in line with GCE Advanced Level

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Curriculum 2000 Qualifications Structure AS 3 Curriculum Units ‘A’ 6 Curriculum Units GNVQ 12 Curriculum Units GNVQ 6 Curriculum Units GNVQ 3 Curriculum Units

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Student A From AS ‘A’ AS A2 AS A2 AS A2 KS

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Pardeep has 10 GCSEs at grades A*-C

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Pardeep will acquire 3 A Levels, 2 AS Levels and a Key Skill qualification Pardeep’s course in Year 2

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Student B From GNVQ‘A’ AS KSKS GNVQ KSKS

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Anna has 7 GCSEs at A* - C AS English Literature AS Sociology Voc. AS Health & Soc Care GCSE Science Key Skills

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Anna’s course in Year 2 AS English Literature AS Sociology Voc A (GNVQ) Health & Social Care Single Award GCSE Science Key Skills A2 English Literature AS Art Anna completes with a Vocational A Level, two AS Levels and an additional GCSE as well as a Key Skills qualification

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Key Principles of an ‘Entitlement’ for Year Olds Supports curriculum 2000 More guided learning hours Covers all abilities and levels Contains some prescription Continued...

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Key Principles of an ‘Entitlement’ For Year Olds Matches individual student needs Flexible Incentives based on progression Main programme plus: - key skills - tutorial - enrichment

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Examples Of Activities Within ‘Entitlement’ Careers and Guidance Wider Key Skills Music, Dance and Drama Personal and Social Education Modern Foreign Languages Sports Young Enterprise and Duke of Edinburgh Work Experience Using Learning Resource Centres

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Key Skills Accreditation  Communication, Application of Number, IT - normally up to level 3  Assessment through exams + portfolio  Portfolio built up by work in main subjects (sign-posted) + workshops/additional study

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Implications for students  Wider range of choice  More subjects to be studied More teacher contact More hours of study  Communication, Application of Number and IT to be extended  Mid-point programme review

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Implications for students  The normal expectation for Advanced Level students in any of the Hampshire Sixth Form Colleges will be a programme of: 4 AS Levels (or the vocational equivalent) + Key Skills

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Changed UCAS tariff  Changes to the UCAS tariff after 2001 entry  New tariff accords points to Vocational A Levels, the new AS and Key Skills qualifications

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Implications for H.E.  Institutional and departmental policies on admissions:  encourage breadth in post-16 curriculum?  balance between breadth and depth - impact on entry requirements?  desirable volume of study - 3, 4 or 5 AS in year 1?  acceptability of mixed programmes - how to deal equitably with a variety of entry routes

TAUNTON’S COLLEGE Implications for H.E.  account to be taken of AS grades on application (not all students will have these)?  attitude towards Key Skills and their acceptability as proxy for other qualifications (especially GCSE Maths / English)?  Assess impact of changed patterns of demand and students’ experience of learning and assessment styles