Edexcel, the UK’s largest awarding body, has received confirmation from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) that it has secured accreditation for five lines of Principal Learning for the new Diplomas.
 
QCA’s chief executive Ken Boston acknowledged the creative and hard work done and he thanked Edexcel for its commitment and creativity in developing the first five lines - in Construction and the Built Environment; Creative and Media, Information Technology; Engineering; Society, Health and Development.  Edexcel's Project qualifications at all three levels have also been accredited at the same time.

Diplomas are new qualifications for 14-19 year olds, for teaching from September 2008.  They are designed to provide flexibility and choice for all learners, through an unique mix of traditional and vocational style learning, developing essential skills, and work-based experience.  They offer a mix of theoretical and applied learning, including functional English, maths and ICT, and the opportunity to develop a specialism or take on complementary study.

The new Diplomas have been developed by Edexcel working closely with employers and teachers, as well as DDPs - Diploma Development Partnerships. 

Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel’s Managing Director, said: “We believe that 25 years of experience with our BTECs have enabled us to meet the demands of developing Diplomas fit for purpose. We’re proud to be the only board to receive formal accreditation from QCA for all five subjects.

"We will continue to work very closely with employers and teachers to ensure that the new qualifications complement the existing suite of Edexcel qualifications and services, including our Trident work experience service, GCSEs, A levels and internationally recognised BTEC qualifications.”

Dates for a new series of workshops and updates will continue to be posted onto the website.  Centres can register for email alerts on http://developments.edexcel.org.uk/diplomas/   As well as Edecel's website, the Diploma catalogue will be  be made available on the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk