The report, Diplomas: the second year, found that just a third of the first cohort of diploma students actually completed the qualification in two years.
The teaching of functional skills in maths, English and ICT was found to be "too variable", 14-19 consortia did too little to monitor learners’ progress and wellbeing and providers did not always share information about learners’ educational achievements, backgrounds and support needs.
Despite this, inspectors found that diploma students were enthusiastic about the vocational elements of their courses and excelled when given the chance to apply their learning to work-based situations.
In the best examples, 14-19 consortia made sure learning was applied to commercial, industrial, professional and work-related contexts. This meant students benefited from links with employers, and had the chance to get involved with activities such as visiting industry premises.
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