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10 Education for pupils aged 14 and over
How education for young people aged 14-19 is changing When will new
courses be available in Suffolk?
The Learning Programme for 14-19 year olds in Suffolk
Leaving school at 16
Sixth form
College
Work-based learning
Where to get help
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
How education for young people aged 14-19 is changing
The education and training opportunities open to young people
aged 14-19 is changing, giving young people the opportunity to
study a wider range of courses from the age of 14 years. Functional
skills in English, Maths and ICT will be added to GCSEs for the
time from 2010. Furthermore the range of Applied GCSEs, formerly
known as GCSEs in vocational subjects will continue to grow. At A
level, there will be more opportunity to stretch and challenge the
brightest students through new-style examination questions, and the
addition of a separate qualification known as the extended
project.
The changes also include a new qualification for 14-19 year olds
called the Diploma. Available at three levels, the Diploma is a
qualification based around an employment sector, combining academic
study, with practical experience allowing progression into higher
education.
Alongside the investments in new school buildings, specialist
skills centres and sixth form college provision, this means that
young people will be able to follow their individual interests more
closely, in the most appropriate learning environment. The aim is
to motivate young people and encourage them to continue in learning
for longer, as they prepare for adulthood and employment.
When will these new courses be available in Suffolk?
In Suffolk our secondary schools, further education colleges and
training providers are working together to develop the new
curriculum offer. The Diplomas in particular, will be delivered
through local 14-19 partnerships. Engineering, the first Diploma to
be offered in Suffolk started in September 2008. Diplomas in
Construction and the Built Environment, Society Health and
Development, and Environmental and Land-based Studies will begin in
September 2009.
By 2013 there will be seventeen new lines of learning in Suffolk
as part of the national learning entitlement for all young people.
As a result students may study their course at more than one school
or college.
The learning programme for 14-19 year olds in Suffolk
All organisations involved in the education of young people in
Suffolk will work towards the following general principles:
Young people should have:
• an appropriate range of learning opportunities between 14-19
years
• a programme that meets their individual needs as far as
possible given the needs of other students
• equal value given to all the subjects and qualifications that
they take
• courses that will contribute to raising their expectations and
achievement
• access to impartial and good quality information, advice and
guidance about their future career plans and the next steps they
need to take
• access to a tutor or other mentor to support them as they
learn
• access to courses that provide appropriate and varied learning
opportunities
• the opportunity to develop good learning skills and
independence
Leaving school at 16
All children must stay at school until the last Friday in June
in the year in which they reach 16. A formal leaving date is set
for each year. Pupils may leave school after this date if they want
to.
The formal leaving dates for the next two years are:
School year 2008-2009 – 26 June 2009
School year 2009-2010 – 25 June 2010
Full-time learning options after Year 11
Pupils wishing to continue with full-time learning after Year 11
will need to make a choice between sixth form, college or a
work-based learning option.
Sixth form
If your son or daughter is already at a school that has a sixth
form they could choose to stay on there, or they could go to sixth
form at another school. Sixth forms vary widely from each other in
terms of size and range of courses, and this could affect his or
her choice.
Further education college
Most students in colleges are over 16, so in some ways it is a
very different environment from school. There are four colleges in
Suffolk, offering a wide range of courses and qualifications.
Students can study full-time, part-time or in the evening. All
colleges provide young people with the support and help of a
personal tutor.
Work-based learning
Your son or daughter may prefer to learn in a more practical
way, or want a job that will provide relevant training and
development opportunities. Apprenticeships give young people the
chance to work for an employer, learn on the job, improve their
skills and earn a wage. They can choose from a broad range of
occupational areas depending on local availability.
Aiming higher
All the above learning routes provide courses that are part of a
national qualifications framework. This makes it easier to see what
level of course a young person may want to do next and then, if
they choose, to progress into higher education from sixth form, FE
college or an advanced level apprenticeship.
Where to get help
Tutors at your son’s or daughter’s current school will be able
to provide further advice and information, or you can speak to a
Youth and Connexions Service personal adviser. You can also find
out more about courses, qualifications, the Diplomas, Young
Apprenticeships and Apprenticeships programmes for 14-19 year olds
in Suffolk at
www.Future4Me.org.uk –
the local area prospectus.
Education Maintenance Allowance
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) provides financial
support for eligible young people either in full-time learning or
on certain full-time training programmes. Claiming EMA will not
affect any other benefits that the family receives. For more
information visit
www.direct.gov.uk/ema or
call the EMA helpline (Freephone) 0800 121
8989.
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