Vocational Specialism
Already awarded presitigious High Performing School status by the Government, Macmillan Academy is also now a Specialist Science Academy with an additional specialism in Outdoor education.
As a result of these and other achievements, Macmillan has now also been selected by the Department for Education and Skills and the Specialist Schools Trust to be one of the country's 26 new, pioneering Specialist Vocational Centres.
In this role, the Academy will pilot specific diplomas. These are split into General and Specialist Diplomas, the first five of which will be in place by 2008 and all fourteen by 2010.
The new 14-19 plan aims to:
- Significantly improve such basic functional skills as numeracy, literacy and ICT
- Stretch the brightest students by revising 'A' Levels
- Increase Post-16 participation to 90% and improve apprenticeships.
The General Diplomas involve the National Curriculum core and foundation subjects along with an entitlement to at least one course in each of the Arts, Design & Technology, Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages.
The significant change is the introduction of Specialised Vocational Diplomas.
Because of its acknowledged expertise, Macmillan Academy has been asked by the DfES to pilot some of the new courses.
