Diploma helps position engineering at the heart of the school curriculum

2 December 2009

On 11th November Engineering Diploma students took part in a showcasing event at the Houses of Parliament, organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and an all party group of MPs headed by Tim Boswell MP (Daventry).

The event centred on students making a presentation to senior representatives of the engineering community and MPs demonstrating how young people are becoming involved in engineering through 14-19 education.

Students of the AQA-City & Guilds Diploma, studying at Newstead Wood Girls' Grammar School in Orpington Kent, were there to talk about their work.

15 year-old Victoria Luck in her second year of study says:

"It's just so enjoyable. I admit it was a leap of faith in the beginning as we didn't know what was involved, but it's been brilliant. There's lots of teamwork involved and also loads of talking to different people. I think it's given us skills that employers and universities will want and also we've had so many opportunities. We've been to lectures at Bromley College which were really useful, we've been to Barcelona where we visited the inside of a Honda factory and also to BAE Systems. We've done so many different things which are included in the syllabus; systems and controls, hydraulic lifts, comparing different products on the market, using a milling machine. Next year, our main project is to incorporate everything we've learned so far into building a car!"

Her schoolmate Sorcha Tokvis feels similarly enthusiastic:

"Doing the Diploma has been quite pioneering! I've had the chance to do so many different things – we've worked in teams, we've had discussions, I've had the opportunity to present to groups and I think that these are all definitely skills that I'll need later in life. Even this event is an opportunity to do something which I would never have done before. I think doing the Diploma has given me a good idea of what a career in Engineering might be like. "

Regarding their future, both girls are still considering their options but both think that an Engineering Diploma will open doors for them and that the skills they have learned will stand them in good stead.

Accompanying them was Jenny Wright head of Engineering at Newstead Girls' Grammar who says: "We're an Engineering Specialist School. We chose AQA-City & Guilds because there's the opportunity to come up with ideas and proposals. It's also more hands-on. For example we're looking at electric circuits at the moment and the approach has been to encourage the girls to make and look -rather than just getting the text books out.

The Engineering Diploma introduces learners to the fascinating world of engineering. The Diploma covers key principles and explores significant aspects of the role of an Engineer including research, design, product development, manufacturing and production. It will captivate the imagination of all potential Engineers and provide an understanding of how their future role could contribute positively to the world around them.

Diplomas have been developed in conjunction with industry professionals, teachers and lecturers. They can be studied at three levels

Foundation (equivalent to 5 GCSEs D-G grades)
Higher (equivalent to 7 GCSEs A*-C grades )
Advanced (equivalent to 3.5 A Levels A*-E grades)

The Principal Learning (sector-specific) component incorporates four main themes.

-The Engineered World
-Discovering Engineering Technology
-Engineering the Future
-Analytical Methods for Engineering (Level 3 only)

Students must also complete a project on a chosen subject showing that they can plan, deliver and present a piece of work. The outcome of the project can be a written report, a photographic journal, a visual, a DVD or even computer software etc and undertake a minimum of a ten day work placement.

For further information on The AQA-City & Guilds Diploma in Engineering please contact Simon Buck at AQA on 01483 477807

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