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A world class education system, providing the foundation for success in Higher Education

Over the next five years, the Government will be working with professionals in schools, colleges and partner organisations to transform the education and training of 11-19 year olds.

These reforms, starting with a new secondary school curriculum, represent the biggest changes in educational opportunity in a generation. They aim to raise the education and skills levels of students by delivering a curriculum which gives them life and social skills, sets stretching and challenging targets, and better prepares them for a fast-changing world.

The reforms

• The Diploma: new, in both what students will learn, but also how they will learn.
• Functional Skills and Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills: to ensure that students can apply their knowledge in English, maths and ICT, together with opportunities to develop skills for life such as teamwork, communication and presentations.
• Updating and modernising GCSEs, to incorporate employability skills. GCSEs in English, maths and ICT to have Functional Skills and Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills built into them.
• Strengthening A levels, to ensure that students are stretched and challenged. Adding an A* grade, to recognise exceptional performance.
• Increasing the number of Apprenticeships, and the number of sectors in which they’ll be available. Apprenticeships will be one of four main routes through to learning at 18.
• Raising the participation age: by 2013, everyone will stay on in learning or training, to age 17, and to age 18 by 2015.
• Extended project: a new, free-standing qualification, equivalent to half an A level, which allows students to pursue an area of special interest to them, through independent research and learning.
• Foundation Learning Tier: additional support for students who are not yet ready for Level 2 qualifications). The Foundation Learning Tier establishes a learning framework which will allow students to progress towards Level 2.

The reforms mean young people entering HE from 2010 will have experienced a challenging and relevant programme of learning through GCSEs and A levels or Diplomas, or a combination of both.

Many of the reforms will have a direct impact on HE institutions, in areas such as entry requirements, curriculum and assessment methods, and the patterns of demand for different and new HE courses.

HE colleagues are encouraged to investigate the development and delivery of the reforms, giving early notification of their entry requirements and making links with the consortia of schools and colleges which will be offering the Diplomas.