Bede's Diploma
“What we see in survey after survey is employers saying qualifications are important, but that just as important to us are so-called soft skills, character skills, the ability to get on with different people, to articulate yourself clearly, confidence, grit, self-control. They are saying we are not seeing enough of this in kids coming out of school.”
Nick Hurd, the then Minister for Civil Society, speaking to the Daily Telegraph in 2013
Our own conversations with employers through our Careers and Employability Service, as well as more informally through our network of parents and alumni working in a broad range of professions, has cemented our view that as our young people communicate through and live their lives increasingly in a digital world, there is a danger that they are losing the inter-personal skills which remain essential in virtually every professional context.
The Bede’s Diploma is a holistic qualification which is designed to address this very skills and experience gap. We want to provide our pupils with the very highest standard of all-round education that prepares them fully for life in the 21st Century and formally develops the skills, qualities and experiences that universities and employers are seeking in applicants.
As such, all Sixth Formers will undertake the Bede’s Diploma, alongside their studies. Possibly, most importantly, the Bede’s Diploma encourages self-motivation and genuine independent thought.
The Diploma is divided into four distinct sections: Extend, Engage, Enlighten and Enhance.
