LearnerAppeals Policy
1.Introduction
AnylearnerundertakingaprogrammewithThinkEmploymentLtd(hereinaftertheCompany)and whoisunhappyaboutanyaspectoftheassessmentprocesshastherighttocomplainthroughthe Complaints/PraisePolicy.
If,however,thelearnerdisagreeswithanassessmentdecision,thefollowingprocessshouldbe taken:
2.TheProcess
Learnerswhoareunhappyaboutanyaspectoftheassessmentprocessshouldfirstdiscussthe problemwiththeTutorwithin5workingdaysofreceivingtheirresult.
Forassessmentsthataretakenusingautomatedtestingsoftwarewhichhasbeenapprovedbythe relevantawardingbodies,theappellantshould:-
Maketheirreasonsclearatthistime
IntheeventofaLearnerraisingacomplaint,theassessmentreport,whichwillhavebeen producedbythesystem,willbefullydiscussedwiththeLearner Anactionplanwillbeagreedandafurtherassessmentdatescheduled Insomecircumstances theLearnermaybeofferedafreere-test(eg iftherehadbeenhardwareorsoftwareproblems) IftheLearnerisunhappywiththedecisionoftheTutor,theLearnermustwritewithin5 workingdaystotheHeadofQuality,whowillfullyreviewthecomplaintandattempttofinda solution.
IfasolutionisnotagreedonbetweentheHeadofQualityandtheLearner,theawardingbody appealprocedurewillbefollowed.Seedetailsbelow.
ForqualificationsthatareassessedbytheTutor/Assessor:
TheLearnermustmaketheirreasonsclearatthistimetotheTutor/Assessor.
TheTutor/Assessorwillreviewhis/herassessmentwiththeLearner,explainingthejudgement decision.
ShouldtheLearnernotbehappywiththisjudgementdecision,theLearnermustwritetothe leadInternalQualityAssurerwithin5workingdays.
TheleadInternalQualityAssurer(IQA)willreviewtheassessmentwithin5workingdaysof receivingtheenquiryandwillinformtheLearnerofhis/herdecision.
IftheLearnerisunhappywiththedecisionoftheleadIQA,thequerywillbesenttothe awardingbody’sExternalQualityAssurer(EQA)forhim/hertoreviewtheassessment.TheIQA willinformtheLearneroftheEQA’sdecisionassoonashe/shereceivesthisdecision.TheEQA’s decisionisfinal.
Thecentrewillkeepawrittenrecordofeachstageoftheprocesswithdatesandoutcomes.
3.Resultenquiry
Forsomequalifications,suchasfunctionalskills,theexampaperismarkedbytheawardingbody.If alearnerwisheshis/herpapertoberemarked,anenquiryshouldbesubmittedtotheawardingbody ratherthananappeal.
Whentheremarkgoesinfavourofthelearner,theawardingbodydoesnotcharge;however,when theremarkconfirmstheinitialgrade,theawardingbodyappliesafee.Ifthelearnerhasrequested theremark,thelearnerwillberequiredtopaythisfee.
4.Awardingbodies’appealsprocess
Note:theawardingbodiesusetheterm“CentreManager.”FortheCompany,theawardingbody CentreManageristheHeadofAdministration.Thewordinginthissectionistakenfromthe awardingbody’swording.
BCS
IfalearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaBCSAssessmentattheapprovedcentre, thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoBCS ThiscanbedoneviatheBCScentremanager, contactdetailsbelow,ordirecttotheBCSQualityTeaminwriting Learnerappealsmustbe madetoBCSwithin20workingdaysofthedateoftheassessmenttogetherwiththeappealfee (detailsoftheappealfeeonBCSwebsite) ThisfeewillberefundediftheLearner’sresult improvesfollowingtheappeal Theaddresswillbesuppliedonrequest BCSwillacknowledgereceiptoftheappealandadvisethelearnerorcentreofthetimescalefor adecision.
TheBCSRepresentativewillinvestigatethecircumstancesoftheappealandmakeareportto theappealspanel.Inveryexceptionalcases,theappealspanelmayrequesttheCentreManager possiblyaccompaniedbytheLearner,toattendameetingofthepaneltoprovidefurther explanationofthecircumstancesoftheappeal.
AppealspaneldecisionswillbegiveninwritingtotheCentreManagerandtheLearnerandare final.
NCFE
Youmustsubmitanappealapplicationwithin30workingdaysofreceivingtheoriginal decision,theoutcomeofanenquiry,ortheoutcomeofareviewofanappeal(Stage1) Thedecisionofwhetherornottoaccepttheapplicationforanappealisbasedonseveral factors,andyouwillbenotifiedwithin5workingdaysfromthedatetheappealwassubmitted ifithasbeenacceptedorrejected.
Ifacceptedtostage1,wewillaimtoresolveanappealwithin20workingdaysofacceptance. Anappealoutcomereportwillbesentwithin5daysofthedecisionbeingmade,either upholdingorrejectingtheappealatthisstage.
YouhavetherighttosubmitanappealtotheIndependentAppealsCommittee(stage2) followingcompletionofthestage1appealsprocedureifyouarenotsatisfiedwithour decision/outcome.Wewillaimtoconfirmacceptancewithin5workingdays,andoncethe committeehavemadeadecisionyouwillbeinformedwithin5workingdays.
Ifthestage2reviewfoundthatwehadnotcorrectlyappliedourprocesses,proceduresor policiesfairlyorconsistently,wewillsendyouanappealoutcomeletteroremail,whichwill includeremedialactionstobecompleted,includingappropriatetimescales.
Ifthestage2reviewfoundallprocesses,proceduresandpoliciestohavebeenappliedcorrectly andinafairandconsistentwaytheappealwillberejected.ThedecisionoftheIndependent AppealsCommitteeisfinalandwillcompleteourappealsprocedure.Wewillnotacceptany furtherappeal.
OpenAwards
OpenAwardswillnotconsidertheappealrequestedbytheLearner.Theappealmustbedone byTheCompanyfortheLearner TheCompany’sstaffmembermustsubmittheirappealwithin 30workingdaystoOpenAwardsattheaddressprovidedinsection4below Theappeal submissionshouldincludethelearner’snameandregistrationnumber;detailsofthe qualificationaffected;afullstatementforthereasonsoftheappeal,aswellasanyinvestigation carriedoutbytheCompany(ifrelevant)andsupportingevidence/documents;thesignatureof thelearner
Thelearnerwillreceiveanacknowledgementofreceiptwithin5workingdays
OpenAwardswillreviewallavailableinformationandreporttheoutcomeoftheirinvestigations within30workingdaysofreceiptoftheappeal However,iftheappealinvolvesaremark,a revisedtimescalewillbeagreedon.Twopossibleoutcomesmayhappen:eitherthelearner’s appealissuccessful(forexample,theoriginaldecisionisamended,suchasachangeofan exam ’sgrade),orithasnotbeensuccessful(OpenAwardsstandsbyitsoriginaldecision). Ifthelearnerisnotsatisfiedwiththeaboveoutcome,theymayappealagainandanInternal AppealsPanelwillreviewthecase.OpenAwardswillacknowledgetheappealwithin5working days.ThePanelwillproduceareportandrecommendationswithin30workingdays.
Ifthelearnerisnotsatisfiedwiththereport,theymayappealtotheExternalAppealsPanel.This appealmustbereceivedwithin10workingdaysofthereport.OpenAwardswillacknowledge theappealwithin5workingdays.ThePanelwillproduceareportandrecommendationswithin 30workingdays.Theoutcomeofthisappealisfinal.
TrainingQualificationsUK(TQUK)
IfthelearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaTQUKAssessmentattheapproved centre,thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoTQUK.However,theyrecommendthatthe Learnermakeaninitialenquiryfirst.AnTQUKstaffmemberwillthenadvisethelearneronhow toproceedwithanappeal.
Shouldthelearnerwishtoappealfollowingtheenquiry,theTQUKAppealFormneedstobe submittedwithin4weeksfromthedateofanassessmentresult.
Thelearnerwillreceiveconfirmationofthereceiptoftheappealwithin2workingdays.Itwill take20workingdaysfortheappealtobereviewed.Adateastowhenthelearnerwillhearfrom TQUKwillgivegivenonreceiptoftheappeal.
Thelearnerhas10workingdaystoeitheraccepttheappealoutcomeorrejectit.Ifthelearner rejectstheappealoutcome,itwillgothroughtheTQUK’sIndependentReviewprocess.The outcomeofthisappealisfinal.
Gateway
CompletetheGatewayQualifications’appealsformandsubmititwithin20workingdaysofthe dateofthepublicationofthedecisionwhichisbeingappealed. Gatewaywillconfirmreceiptofappealwithin2workingdays,andwillnotifyoutcomeof decisionwithin20workingdaysofappealreceipt.Thisstage–Stage1–willinvolvean individualthatGatewaywillappointtoreviewtheappeal.
IftheappellantisnotsatisfiedwithStage1’sdecision,theymayproceedtothenextstage–Stage2–bywritingwithin15workingdaysfromthedateofStage1outcome Thisstagewill involveapanelappointedbyGateway Thedecisionatthisstageisfinal
Skillsfirst
IftheLearnerisnotabletoresolveanappealrelatingtoaSkillsfirstAssessmentattheapproved centre,thenhe/shehastherighttoappealtoSkillsfirst Thismaybedonebycompletingthe appealsform,whichisavailableonSkillsfirstwebsite–skillsfirstcouk Therewillbeacharge tomakeanappeal,thedetailsofwhichareontheSkillsfirstwebsite AppealsmustbemadetoSkillsfirstwithin20workingdaysofthedateyourexaminationresult wasissuedbySkillsfirst.
Skillsfirstwillacknowledgereceiptoftheappealwithin2workingdays.
TheSkillsfirstCustomerServiceTeamLeaderwillundertake,within10workingdays,aninitial, informalassessmentoftheappealtoensuretheappealdocumentationiscompleteandto ascertainiftheissuecanberesolvedbeforeitgoestoaformalappeal.
TheappealwilleitherbeupheldorrejectedandtheLearnerwillbeinformedofthedecision. ShouldtheLearnerwishtogothroughaformalappeal,he/shewillneedtofollowthe instructionsgivenbytheSkillsfirstCustomerServiceTeamLeader.
JCQ
JCQAppealsBooklet–effectivefromNovember2020–isavailableat https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/appeals
5.Takingtheappealfurther
Shouldthelearnernotbesatisfiedwiththefinaldecisionoftheawardingbody,theymayraisethe issuewiththequalificationregulator:
ComplaintsOfqual
EarlsdonPark 53-55ButtsRoad Coventry CV13BH
Orpublic.enquiries@ofqual.gov.uk
ThelearnermayalsofollowOfqual’sproceduresat https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual/about/complaints-procedure.
7.ReviewofthePolicy
ASeniorLeaderwillreviewthispolicyannuallyormorefrequentlywheretherearesignificant changesincircumstances.
To be disseminated to: All Staff / Service Users
Authorised by:
Lead IQA
Head of Administration
Head of Quality
Amendments:
Sept 2018 - Updated
Policy Ref: 011
Issue Date: March 2015
Review Due: December 2024
Dec 2018 – Layout amended and Introduction and ‘meanings’ included Contact list clarified and notified of display in centres
Dec 2019 – No changes
Dec 2020 – OCR removed and Open Awards added; appeals form link added for NCFE; replaced Head of Operation with Head of Operation, and Candidates with Learner
May 2021 – TQUK appeal process added; enquiry added; Ofqual email address added
November 2021 – Changed Head of Operation to Head of Quality; amended Open Awards process in section 4; emboldened time frames
April 2022 – Changed Head of Central Support to Head of Administration; removed City & Guilds, and Proqual; added Gateway’s appeals procedure.
Dec 2022 - Removed Skillsfirst and Ascentis
Aug. 2023 – Added again Skillsfirst
Jan 2024 - Replaced "Senior Manager" with "Senior Leader"
