Access to HE Diploma Changes for 2014-15

1. Access to HE Diploma Changes for 2014-15

2. What has changed with the new Access specification? • 45 graded level 3 credits which must all come from units based on academic subject content. The remaining 15 credits can be either ungraded level 3 or level 2. • Learners can only be registered and certificated for 60 credits. No delivery of additional units and no accreditation for additional achievement. • GCSE Equivalences will no longer be regulated by QAA as part of the Access to HE Diploma qualification. • Revised assessment regulations for the timing of requests for ‘referrals’. .

3. New Specification and OCN London • Although the new Diploma will be more standardised, Access Validating Agencies (AVA) are competing Awarding Organisations and each have implemented the new specification in their own way. • Each Diploma title has generic Rules of Combination (RoC). All providers recognised to deliver a Diploma use the same RoC, but may select a different range of units from the Diploma approved unit list during course recognition. Some variation between courses will exist. • All Diplomas will include 15 credits of ungraded level 3 or where appropriate level 2 study skills units. • The mandatory units consist of: a reading unit, an academic writing skills unit and a graded subject specific unit appropriate for the Diploma progression. route/s.

4. Implications and Impact so far- 1 FE Entry requirements • Asking for learners to have one or two of the English and Maths GCSEs up front. • Setting up GCSE Maths and English to offer alongside offering Pre Access alongside. Alternatively either as option year 1 of a 2 year course • Setting up Pre Access year 1 courses. Recruitment of Access learners - anecdotal at this stage • Numbers generally lower this year. • Many Social Work and Teacher Training courses not running this year as they have not recruited. .

5. Implications and Impact so far -2 Potential difficulties with embedding the new specification Providers will need support to ensure that the requirements of the new Diploma specification are met. In particular.. • Learner registration against units. • Delivery of only 60 credits. • Revised units / changes to Diplomas. • Graded / ungraded element of the new qualification. • New referral regulations.

6. HE Response • OCN London liaised with key HEIs last year in particular with those offering Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work to discuss what they would be accepting this year instead of GCSE equivalences. • Several will still accept functional skills in English and Maths this year, but increasingly are asking for GCSEs. • Where GCSEs are being asked for, some will make offers to / interview learners who are studying these concurrently whilst others expect learners to already have these at the point of application. • Still a lot of work to be done to ensure HE admission tutors are clear about the changes and how these impact on entry requirements for Access students.

7. Access to HE QAA Developments • Continued development of subject descriptors. • Defines national minimum content for an Access to HE Diploma (in generic terms). • Focus on Diploma subjects with high numbers/professional body requirements (e.g. Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work). • Draft for Nursing - does not use all credit – some space for ‘local’ determination of content. • Development of system for benchmarking grading distribution to be applied by QAA and AVAs as trigger for further action where grading outcomes fall outside established tolerances. • After 2017? The future of QAA and the regulation of Access to HE.