School graduation: Congratulations, you finished

Up until now, school leavers in the UK have not formally marked the end of schooling. But this year some schools in Surrey will be doing so with a US-style graduation ceremony

In late September a group of young people will be visiting their local university rather than going to school. The reason? They will be taking part in one of the first-ever US-style graduation ceremonies to be staged by a state school in the United Kingdom. George Abbot, a 2,000-pupil comprehensive in Guildford, Surrey, is one of four secondary schools to be pioneering the initiative this year – but the scheme could mushroom across the country.

Under the initiative, first advocated by Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, before the 2001 General Election, all school leavers at George Abbot and three other schools in Surrey will be given a graduation certificate.

It will be a black tie affair although the school has agreed after consultation with the pupils not to go down the road of making it a mortar board and gown ceremony. And it will be staged at the University of Surrey to symbolise the fact that the young people are moving on to higher education. The certificate will contain their academic achievements and a character profile outlining work they have done in the community and other extra curricular activities.

Already officials from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Government's exams watchdog, have shown an interest. In addition, it is being extended around the county and taken up by schools in Hampshire and Liverpool.

Jonathan Stewart, the head of sixth-form studies at George Abbot – which, with 400 pupils, has one of the largest sixth-forms in the country, says: "We wanted to mark the occasion of the young people becoming adult and moving on. We wanted to give them the chance to say goodbye to all those people they had been with throughout their schooling. It's a rite of passage, if you like.

"Previously, there was a prize-giving ceremony but it was only for the more academic youngsters. This gives an opportunity for all to take part in a graduation ceremony." The kind of certificate the school is giving to its youngsters should replace the matriculation diploma outlined by the Government in its Green Paper on reforming 14 to 19 education, he believes.

The Government system envisages three tiers of diploma – an intermediate diploma for those who achieve a minimum of at least five A* to C grades, an advanced level for those who pass two A-levels and an AS-level and a higher grade for those with A, B and B grades at A-level plus an AS level to show breadth of study.

However, ministers have had to take their plans back to the drawing board after almost universal hostility from heads who say the proposals will not work in the present form because universities and employers will not recognise the diploma.

George Abbot's graduation certificate will outline their A-level passes and show they have mastered key skills such as competency in using new technology and communication. The school is not using the national key skills test because it says that universities are placing no weight on it and that has made youngsters reluctant to take it as a result. Instead, it is pioneering its own model.

In addition, the certificate will include what is called a "citizenship element", showing the types of activities youngsters have taken part in around the school and individual work they may have undertaken outside the school – such as work shadowing, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award or sporting achievements.

"At the moment we are presenting them with a certificate they can show to any potential employee or university admissions officer," says Mr Stewart. "In the future we could turn it into a CD-rom in a rather flashy tin – it could be loaded into the tin and sent off to the places where they are going for interviews. That is some way down the line but it could turn some heads if the students were to present it at an interview.

"Basically, it will help them reflect on their sixth-form experience and it will be easier for them to tell people what they think they have got out of it." The graduation certificate has certainly helped Sabrina Hicks, who is taking A-levels in English literature, classical civilisation, psychology and general studies.

In her profile statement to accompany the certificate, she says: "I feel very proud that I have learnt to articulate my own views... Above everything, I have found that the more knowledge I gain, the more I want to learn.

"I was a prefect for the first year of the sixth form, which involved the supervision of younger children for one lunchtime each week. I feel I demonstrated maturity and reliability and in turn I learnt the value of patience and responsibility."

Some of the youngsters in the first year of the sixth form also banded together to run their own company making mobile telephone holders and won a countywide award for their business acumen – another factor that will be included on their graduation certificate.

Mr Stewart endorses the complaints of head teachers about the Government's matriculation diploma proposal. He believes that the idea of a diploma only for those with at least five top grade GCSEs will reinforce elitism in the education system – with employers ignoring those who do not have the matriculation diploma. Mr Stewart would prefer to see government ministers adopt George Abbot's blueprint of a graduation certificate for all.

r.garner@independent.co.uk