The Secretary of State's recent groundbreaking decision to extend Diplomas from the current areas of applied learning to Science, Languages and the Humanities has been warmly welcomed by both the world of education and the world of employment. The IEA gives its wholehearted support to this new initiative.

The Diplomas will now embrace theoretical and applied learning, as envisaged by the 2004 Tomlinson 14-19 Working Group, of which I was a member. This extension is, therefore, an important step towards a comprehensive assessment system for students of all abilities and aptitudes which will eradicate the academic/vocational divide that has bedeviled our education and qualifications system for far too long.

The Secretary of State has set up an Expert Group to advise him of the factors which must be addressed to transform policy into an action plan for the introduction of the new Diplomas in 2011. Assessment is one such factor. Without good assessment public confidence in the Diploma system will not be forthcoming. It is vitally important therefore that the assessment which underpins Diplomas is reliable, consistent, rigorous, fit for purpose and manageable for both students and teachers. It is a measure of the value which is placed on IEA's views on, and expertise in, assessment that I have been appointed to the Group. This is a real opportunity for the IEA to be involved in the first stages of a development which could transform the qualifications system.

The IEA is very conscious that both the newly announced Diplomas and the Specialist applied Diplomas which will come on stream in 2008 present a huge challenge to all those involved in their design and introduction. Ofsted continues to report that good assessment practice across schools and colleges is patchy. Where it exists, so too does good teaching and learning, a clear endorsement of IEA's view that helping teachers to improve their understanding and application of good assessment practice benefits learners. We will continue to give support to teachers and examiners through CPD and our Professional Frameworks. We are pleased that our recently acquired chartered status will enable us to confer on the most expert of assessors the status of Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA).

By advising on the design of the new assessment system, by supporting and raising the status of assessors in schools and awarding bodies and by working with all parties with a stake in the new initiative IEA is well placed to make a major contribution to the success of the Diplomas. This is a real opportunity to bring about lasting reform of our assessment system in the interests of all learners. Let us grasp it with both hands.

Kathleen Tattersall, Chair of the Institute of Educational Assessors.

To view the recent press release from DCSF please visit the DCSF website.

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