Copies of all our policies and standards are available on request via calat@croydon.gov.uk or by visiting one of our centres.
You can fill in an online refund application here, ask for one at one of our centres or email: calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk
CALAT reserves the right to amalgamate, change the location, tutor, date or duration of a course, or cancel a course if enrolments are too few or in other exceptional circumstances.
We will try to find you a suitable alternative or refund the full cost.
If CALAT cancels your course(s) and we are unable to provide a suitable alternative, you will be entitled to a full refund of the fees regardless of any sessions delivered. This will be arranged by the CALAT centre where the course was due to take place.
CALAT occasionally has to reschedule a class due to unforeseen circumstances. Arrangements for a replacement class will be made to suit the majority of the class members and the availability of suitable accommodation. If the rearranged class is not convenient for you to attend, you will be entitled to a refund in CALAT vouchers to the value of the session/s missed. To request this, you must write to or email CALAT within 3 months of the rescheduled class.
Refunds will be processed back to the payment card that you used to enrol or will be in the form of a cheque issued by Croydon Council. Learners should contact the CALAT Finance department (email: calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk) if payment has not been received within 10 working days of the agreed refund.
Should you have any queries regarding the refunds policy, these should be addressed to the CALAT Strategic Service Manager, CALAT Central Croydon Centre, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET or email calatfinance@croydon.gov.uk
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (SVG) sets out legal framework for the policy and procedure for the Safeguarding of vulnerable adults using a public service.
The primary focus for safeguarding is to promote well-being and prevent abuse and neglect happening in the first place, ensure the safety and wellbeing of anyone who has been subject to abuse or neglect, take action against those responsible and learn lessons and make changes.
Safeguarding is everybody’s business and with the new Care Act 2014 this can only strengthen the protection of vulnerable adults within Croydon.
Under Safeguarding adult at Risk there is also a duty to prevent people from being drawn into extremism and radicalisation. This is called Anti- Radicalisation and forms a key part of the government’s strategy to counter terrorism known as Prevent.
“an expression of dissatisfaction with the standard of service provided by CALAT or with something CALAT or a member of its workforce may or may not have done”.
This definition is in line with those of the Local Government Ombudsman and the
British Standards Institute.
The definition does not include appeals against, or objections to, decisions of CALAT which should generally be pursued by way of the appropriate statutory or other appeals procedure.
CALAT expects staff and contractors to meet the following minimum standards in dealing with complaints:
The outcome of each complaint will be monitored. Information obtained will be fed back to the relevant service and included in periodic complaints reports to CALAT’s Senior Management Team.
The Business Support officer supporting the Strategic Service Manager has responsibility for ensuring that complaints are logged, progress is tracked at each stage, and outcomes are recorded. The appropriate manager will be responsible for monitoring its contractors’ compliance with CALAT’s complaints standards where these are a contract requirement.
The CALAT Senior Management Team and Governance advisory board will receive an termly report on complaints activity in the previous year which will include a regular statistical report on the number of complaints received, outcomes achieved, and trends which can be identified. The report will:
N.B. managers – please refer to the Managers Guide for dealing with complaints, compliments and comments.
In most cases, service delivery problems reported by users are resolved satisfactorily by the member of staff they contact first, without any need for further action. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response given at the first stage under CALAT’s Complaints Procedure, they are entitled to ask for their complaint to be dealt with at the second stage.
All complaints will be recorded under the Procedure, and that information regularly analysed to identify patterns of complaints and possible service improvements.
Users of the service are advised (Course Directory and website) to make any complaints to the Head of Service. However, complaints can also be received by any member of staff in the service (written or oral).
If the complainant has difficulties in making a written complaint at any stage of the procedure; they can request assistance or submit their complaint in an alternative form.
The complainant will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint within 5 working days and will get a written response to the complaint from the appropriate manager within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint. The response will acknowledge their complaint and tell them that they can ask for an investigation at Stage 2 of the procedure if they are not satisfied with the response.
A request for a Stage 2 review should be made in writing to the Head of Service and should include an explanation of the complainant’s reasons for dissatisfaction with the Stage 1 response. If relevant reasons are given, a review of the Stage 1 investigation and response will be carried out under the supervision of the Head of Service. The aim of the review is to ensure that all matters raised in the original complaint have been comprehensively and accurately addressed and, if not, to ensure that this now happens.
The Head of Service will consider the recommendation(s) made in the original response at stage one and reply to the complainant with the findings. The Head of CALAT may authorise another Senior Manager to undertake this role if absent from work.
The Stage 2 review will be completed within 20 working days of receipt of the Stage 2 complaint, with the customer receiving an acknowledgement within the first three days of this timeframe. In exceptional circumstances, the review may take longer than 20 working days. If so, the complainant will be kept updated of its progress, given the reason for the delay and given a target date for a final response. The final response will tell the complainant, if they are dissatisfied with the outcome, that they can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Members of the Council, the GLA Member for Croydon and Members of Parliament sometimes make enquiries of CALAT about a range of matters raised with them by constituents. The general purpose of these enquiries is to obtain information in order to respond to the constituent.
If the constituent wishes to make a complaint about the delivery of a service, the Member (i.e. Councillor or the GLA Member) or MP can refer the matter to be dealt with under the CALAT Complaints procedure. This will avoid the Member or MP acting as an intermediary and enables them to represent their constituent if they feel this is appropriate. If the matter is not within the remit of the complaints procedure and there is a statutory or other appeal process available, the Member or MP will be advised promptly to ensure that the constituent does not miss the opportunity of exercising a statutory right by using an inappropriate complaint channel.
Both the Members Support Officer and the Department Complaints Office will ensure the Member and/or their constituent receives a full response from the relevant officer.
MPs’ enquiries received by the Chief Executive or Director of Corporate Services will be referred to the Council’s Head of Democratic and Legal Services for a response.
Enquiries to Directors will be referred to the relevant Department Complaints Officer or will be dealt with under the departmental Members’ Enquiries procedure.
The Council’s aims to respond to Members’ and MPs’ Enquiries within 10 working days of receipt, whichever route is used. Where the matter is urgent, the response time will be reduced as appropriate. If the enquiry concerns a complaint about a Council service that has not been referred to the corporate complaints procedure, it may take longer to provide a full response.
The ICT Acceptable Use Policy ensures that learners, staff and volunteers at CALAT use the ICT facilities in a manner which is safe for everybody. Everyone is expected to follow this policy and inappropriate use will result in learners being excluded from all CALAT Centres in accordance with the Learner Code of Conduct.
You will be made aware of online security during your course and will agree to abide by any rules or requests made by CALAT in order to keep you and fellow learners safe online, as well as the regulations of the sites you access.
Most tutors will request permission to use your personal email address to communicate with you and you will need to supply it to gain access to Moodle. Please note that this is at your discretion and every effort will be made to keep this secure.
On some courses learners and tutors may form Whatsapp groups to facilitate communication and to share resources and information relevant to the course. Learners are not under any obligation to join this group. Learners who do join these groups should make sure that these groups are positive, welcoming environments for all learners. Tutors may be part of these groups. Learners and tutors should ensure that the group content relates to course matters, and that items shared are appropriate.
We encourage you to bring your own devices (e.g. smart phones or tablets) to use during class. Please note that you bring your device at your own risk and during classes where mobile devices are used please note the following:
Please do not send friend requests to tutors for your Facebook or other social media accounts (such as twitter). Tutors will not accept these requests. Your accounts are personal and for your own safety you should limit them to your own family and friends. You should be
cautious about adding learners you have just met to all your social media accounts.
Learners are reminded that they must abide by Government legislation relating to ICT, for example The Computer Misuse Act, Copyright laws, Data Protection Act.
In the event of hardware failure, software failure, or virus outbreaks, CALAT cannot be responsible for any damage occurring to a learner’s property.
CALAT’s Fee and Pound Plus strategy supports the aims of the Adult Learning Strategic Priorities 2019-2022 by setting out the principles under which CALAT generates income beyond the Adult Education Budget funding allocation from the Greater London Agency
(GLA) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
‘Pound Plus’ refers to additional income that enables CALAT to improve participation in learning, in line with principles for Community Learning (CL).
Fees from learners including income generation for courses that are not funded from the grant allocation, room lettings, other funding sources, resources in kind including the shared use of Croydon Council premises and partners’ contributions are all included in ‘Pound Plus’.
CALAT encourages learners to make a contribution towards the cost of their course, dependent on government funding regulations and locally agreed priorities. The Fee Policy is reviewed annually and approved by the CALAT’s Governance advisory board and Croydon Council’s Economic Growth Directorate Leadership Team (DLT).
A basic hourly fee forms the basis for all fee calculations. There are different fee thresholds, according to the type of provision and learners’ individual circumstances. The course fee is rounded up to the nearest pound.
Adult Skills courses, including those leading to qualifications, attract a lower hourly fee than non-accredited CL courses. Targeted CL courses also run at either a lower or 0 fee which are delivered within priority areas and groups in line with Croydon Council’s corporate plan and the GLA’s Skills for Londoners Strategy.
The rates for academic year 2019-2020 are set out in Appendix 1: CALAT Fees Policy 2019/20.
There may be additional charges for provision of materials or other resources. These may be included in the course fee or entail learners providing their own resources on a weekly basis e.g. cookery, floristry, arts and crafts. Additional charges will be made clear on the course information sheets available online or at either centre, learners will know in advance what they will be expected to pay.
With the exception of ‘self-funded’ courses, all learners benefit from subsidised course fees through the Adult Education Budget Grant from the GLA/ESFA. Learners will need to meet the residency requirements in order to have the right to access to this funding and will be asked to provide proof of residency. Information on residency requirements and proof of residency forms part of pre-course Information, Advice and Guidance, and is also available from CALAT on request.
English and maths courses (including GCSE) and some outreach provision for targeted groups are free to all learners.
Learners in receipt of eligible benefits are entitled to a discount on certain courses. The discount will varies from a 25% reduction to full fee remission (free) depending on the course. Learners will be asked to self-declare benefit status and may be asked to produce evidence.
There is full fee remission available on certain courses for those on a low income (defined by GLA and ESFA); again evidence of this low income must be produced before enrolment. Examples of evidence include pay slips, bank statements etc. received within the last three months.
More information on proof of income is available on request from CALAT staff.
Learners who are not eligible for discounts can apply for assistance with fees and resources from the Discretionary Learning Support Fund (DLSF). A separate DLSF policy sets out the conditions for eligibility.
Learners who fail to provide proof of their eligibility when required will be charged course fees at the rate of £13.00 per hour plus any other costs. Learners who are not eligible for GLA/ESFA funding will also be required to pay tuition fees at the rate of £13.00 per hour plus any other costs.
Learners are able to pay in instalments if a course is 6 weeks or longer and the fees you pay are more than £120.00. Learners need to agree a standing order instalment plan at the time of enrolling and will pay a 35% course deposit and agree to make full payment of the rest of the fees by standing order payments from their bank account. A £10 admin fee will be added to the learner’s fees for the setup of the standing order.
Late enrolments will be charged pro-rata to the nearest half-term, dependent on the programme and approval by Curriculum management staff. Registration costs, materials and examination fees (if applicable) will be due in full.
Examination, accreditation and administration costs are generally included in the overall course fee. All examination/accreditation and administration fees are non-refundable as they are passed on to external examining bodies.
If learners fail their examination and need to re-sit, they will normally need to pay the examination fee again. This is valid whether they re-sit during the same academic year or the following academic year. Different rules may apply for specific examinations, full details are available from the examination team at CALAT.
Learners who fail to attend their examinations at the original date will be required to pay the re-sit examination fee in full.
CALAT cannot enrol individuals on another course while there is a balance of fees outstanding for any previous enrolment.
Learners who withdraw from their course for personal reasons are not entitled to a refund of their fee. If learners have agreed an instalment plan, all instalments will be due in full.
Learners enrolled on a course are entitled to fourteen working days during which they may cancel their course enrolment and receive a refund of the money paid for the course(s). If, however, the course starts within the fourteen day cooling off period, the payment for the course will indicate to CALAT that the learner wish to undertake the course and their right to cancel will be lost unless this is due to a course being proved to have been mis-sold by CALAT or to a service failure.
After the fourteen day cooling off period, learners will not be entitled to a refund unless this is due to service failure. This does not affect statutory rights.
Should learners request a refund based on a complaint about the quality of service provided by CALAT, the complaint will be dealt with from the time that it is received by CALAT’s senior leadership and curriculum management teams. If the claim is substantiated, learners will receive a proportional refund of the fees paid. If the claim is not substantiated, learners will not be entitled to a refund. Learners are entitled to appeal and the appeal process is detailed in the Customer Care Policy.
There is no automatic right to a refund, for example as a result of ill health, a change in employment circumstances or moving home. In cases such as bereavement of a close relative or the demise of the student enrolled, applications for refunds will be considered on an individual basis.
A minimum £20 administration charge per course for changes to course enrolments will be charged.
CALAT may occasionally have to re-schedule a class due to unforeseen circumstances. Arrangements will be made to suit the majority of the class and availability of the tutor and suitable accommodation. No refund for the missed session will be due if the new arrangement is not convenient to an individual student. In circumstances where classes are cancelled for reasons outside the control of CALAT (e.g. very bad weather conditions) then every attempt will be made to make up lost sessions. However, where this is not possible refunds will not be payable but students will be credited to the value of the lost sessions.
If CALAT cancels a course and is unable to provide a suitable alternative, learners will be entitled to a full refund of their fees.
Letting fees cover the costs of room hire only.
The rates for academic year 2019-2020 are set out in Room Hire Terms and Conditions Appendix 3.
CALAT’s CL Outreach provision consists of targeted programmes designed to meet the particular needs of targeted groups of learners, as specified in CALAT’s Adult Learning Strategic Priorities 2019-2022.
Such programmes are usually proposed in partnership with local community organisations. There is an expectation that CL funding is a contribution to overall costs of delivery and that partners will add value by contributing in kind (such as offering free venue or expertise) or through costs savings (such as recruiting and supporting
learners)
CALAT is committed to providing quality learning opportunities to prepare candidates for accreditation.
The purpose of this exam policy is;
To ensure the planning and management of accreditation is conducted efficiently and in the best interests of candidates.
To ensure the operation of an efficient accreditation system with clear guidelines.
The Examinations Manager will review this exam policy annually.
The qualifications offered by CALAT are decided by the Curriculum Team Managers and approved by SMT.
The qualifications offered are City & Guilds, EDEXCEL, Signature, CACHE/ NCFE, OCN, Ascentis, ABC (sEGA), AQA, OCR, Trinity and AAT.
External exams are scheduled in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, December and on demand
CALAT will prepare all candidates for the appropriate accreditation, and will carry out on-course assessment to ensure that candidates are well prepared for the particular qualification they are aiming for. All learners enrolled on accredited courses are expected to take the accreditation provided that they reach the required level. However, where the tutor assesses that a candidate is not ready to take accreditation, CALAT reserves the right to refuse entry, provided that there has been consultation with the candidate and that there is evidence to show that further preparation is needed in order to achieve the qualification.
Candidates are selected for their exam entries by the subject tutors.
IMPORTANT: The exams office will only accept amendments and changes of level up to the date set by the awarding body.
IMPORTANT: Late entries are authorised by the Curriculum Manager/Examination Manager. The Examination Manager will accept entry amendments up to the dates set by the awarding body.
CALAT does not accept entries from external candidates.
CALAT does not normally act as an exam centre for other organisations.
Candidates should:
For written exams:
For portfolio based assessment:
Retakes:
Candidates are unable to retake AS and GCSE examinations
Retake decisions are made in consultation with the Curriculum Manager/ Examinations Manager
Normal registration and exam fees are paid by the candidates.
Late entry or amendment fees are paid by whoever is responsible for the need to make a change.
Retake fees are paid by the candidates – this includes the examination retake costs and any associated administrative costs.
Candidates who have to prepare portfolio evidence should do so by the required date.
The subject tutors will ensure all evidence is assessed and referenced to the qualification learning outcomes at the correct time.
The exams office will keep a record of what has been sent, when and to whom.
Results
EARS – Enquiries about results
Certificates are presented in person, or collected and signed for. Certificates can also be issued by e-certificate service depending on the awarding body. Certificates are only posted (second/recorded delivery) in exceptional circumstances and costs may be passed onto the individual.
Certificates may be collected on behalf of a candidate by a third party, provided they have written, signatory consent and appropriate identification.
CALAT retains certificates for one year.
CALAT has robust quality assurance for all qualifications Many of our courses are internally assessed and then quality assured by experienced Internal Quality Assurance Officers who are experts in their field.. . Awarding bodies carry out external quality assurance checks at least once a year to ensure that CALAT continues to assess learners evidence in a fair and robust process It is important that assessment is fair for all candidates and CALAT recognises the right of all candidates to appeal against assessment decisions.
The appeals process is composed of the following steps:
If a candidate is dissatisfied with their result or assessment decision they should:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Candidates should please refer to their tutor or the curriculum manager for a more detailed dedicated appeals process for their particular qualification (see Section 9 below).
Please note there are fixed time scales for all these stages so candidate must act promptly.
Candidates will be charged for this process, but the costs may be re-imbursed if the original decision is overturned.
If a candidate wishes to appeal on externally assessed or marked work, they should contact the Examinations Manager, who will forward it to the awarding body for consideration. There will be a, non-refundable charge for this service.
If a candidate wishes to appeal against an internal assessment decision, the appeal should be lodged with the Examination Officer or tutor/internal quality assurance officer , within 20 working days of the candidate being notified of the assessment decision.
The tutor/internal quality assurance office will attempt to find a solution with the candidate, for example through re-consideration of the evidence/work. If however the appeal is still unresolved the relevant programme manager will:
The appeals panel will:
The candidate will be informed of the panel’s decision within 5 working days.
If the candidate does not accept the findings of the appeals panel, they should respond in writing within 10 working days so that the matter can be forwarded to the external quality assurance officer or warding board quality team as per the awarding body’s procedure.
Records must be kept of all dealings, which should be made available to the appeals panel and to the candidate if requested.
Candidates may be charged a fee which will be refunded if the appeal is successful. An estimate of any additional costs will be given before the appeal proceeds.
Appeals against practical assessments cannot be carried out in the same way as exam based/portfolio based assessment, responsibility for this type of assessment remains with CALAT. The actual marks or grades cannot be appealed against; the tutor’s assessment is upheld.
The candidate is able to appeal against the procedures used for the assessment.
However, for some subject specific qualifications:
The practical assessment is carried out by the external verifier and appeals remain their responsibility.
The candidate may be asked to provide DVD/Video evidence – all equipment and costs to be supplied and paid for by the candidate.
Upon appeal the internal verifier and tutor will look at the appeal, then if unresolved the external verifier for the awarding body will investigate and report back to the internal verifier.
A candidate who wishes to appeal against the procedures used in practical internal assessments should contact the Examination Manager to discuss the appeal as soon as possible and a written appeal must be received by CALAT at least 2 weeks before the date of the last external exam in the subject.
Examination fees may be refunded subject to the agreement of the Awarding body when the candidate:
is prevented by accident or illness from taking the examination/assessment (medical certificate required)
Application for the refund of examination fees must be made in writing by the candidate to the exams office or the centre of entry and must be accompanied by a medical certificate. Applications must be received within 14 days of the date of the examination. Withdrawal before the date of the examination will not guarantee a refund; this is subject to the Board’s regulations.
Fees will be refunded after the Board confirms agreement. Any charges made by the Board will be deducted from the refund given.
Boards do not refund registration fees, late entry fees or transfer fees, and fees cannot be transferred from one examination series to another.
CALAT recognises that some candidates may need repeated opportunities to achieve their chosen qualification. Therefore where re-sit opportunities are offered within the curriculum area, learners will be entitled to one free re-sit but subsequent re-sits will be provided where possible and are chargeable. The costs involved are:
Please note:
CALAT may not always be able to offer re-sit opportunities.
Any alteration to the above conditions will only be met in exceptional circumstances. For more information, please contact the exams office on 020 8667 8422.
The acceptance of private candidates for CALAT examinations is solely at the discretion of the exams office/curriculum managers. Each request will be considered on an individual basis.
All Examination Board costs and additional costs incurred in setting up the exam will be passed on to the private candidate, payable in advance. In addition they will be charged a fee of £100 to cover administration, which is non refundable.
CALAT will only accept examination entries from private candidates where:
Private candidates should contact the Examinations Manager in the first instance on 020 8667 8422.
Written Examinations
Candidates dissatisfied with their result for a written examination should contact the Examinations Manager within 10 working days of being notified of the decision.
Options available:
Candidates may request an ‘Enquiry Upon Result’ service for the subject concerned, with the Examination Board, within 4 weeks of the publication of results. Cost for this service to be paid by the candidate, but will be refunded by the Board if a change of mark is awarded. It should be noted that this can result in grades being confirmed, raised or lowered, and for this reason candidates must give their informed consent to the enquiry services being conducted.
Appeals against the decision of the enquiry should be made within 14 calendar days of the receipt of the outcome. All costs to be paid by the candidate.
Or
Candidates may request access to any or all of their examination scripts, to inform future learning. Original scripts will be returned along with mark schemes for checking answers. All requests must reach the Awarding Body via the CALAT Examinations Office by 21st September. There is a charge for this service upon request.
Internally Assessed work
In accordance with the Code of Practice for the conduct of external qualifications produced by the QCA, CALAT is committed to ensuring that:
Internal assessments are conducted by staff that have the appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills
Assessment evidence provided by candidates is produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the relevant specifications for each subject
The consistency of internal assessment is assured through internal standardisation as set out by the Awarding Bodies
Staff responsible for internal standardisation and/or assessment attends any compulsory training sessions
Each Awarding Body publishes procedures for appeals against its decisions, and the Examinations Office will be able to advise candidates of these procedures.
Appeals by candidates may be made to CALAT regarding the procedures used in internal assessment, but not the actual marks or grades submitted by CALAT for moderation by the awarding body.
A candidate wishing to appeal against the procedures used in internal assessments should contact the Examinations Office as soon as possible to discuss the appeal, and a written appeal must be received by CALAT at least 2 weeks before the date of the last external exam in the subject.
On receipt of a written appeal, an enquiry into the internal assessment will be conducted by the Examinations Manager, curriculum manager and tutor. This enquiry will consider whether the procedures used in the internal assessment conform to the published requirements of the Awarding Body.
The appellant will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal, including details of any relevant communication with the Awarding Body and of any steps taken to further protect the interests of the candidates.
Statement for Candidates:
“If at any stage during your exam courses you have concerns about the procedures used in assessing your internally marked work (coursework/portfolios) you should see the Examinations Manager as soon as possible”.
Plagiarism is: ‘The failure to acknowledge sources properly and/or the submission of another person’s work as if it were the candidate’s own’ (as defined by the Joint Council for Qualifications) and relates to unsupervised assessed work. This can know include AI generated responses.
CALAT has a policy with regard to plagiarism and considers this form of cheating a serious offence. Full guidelines to this policy are available on request.
Some examples of plagiarism are listed below. This list is merely illustrative and not exhaustive but it does indicate the range and forms of academic dishonesty occasionally practised by some candidates.
Although candidates are encouraged to show the results of their reading by referring to and quoting from works on their subject, copying from such sources without acknowledgement is deemed to be plagiarism, as is the use of AI used as the candidates own work and will not be accepted by CALAT. Candidates are encouraged to collaborate with others in studying, but submitting work copied from or written jointly with others is not acceptable.
Candidates are warned that all forms of cheating, including plagiarism, are totally unacceptable. Any candidate discovered cheating or plagiarising is seen as having committed an offence and the CALAT disciplinary procedures will be followed, with reference to examining boards where necessary.
All learners should agree to and sign the Candidate Agreement on the Plagiarism Policy . This should be signed and kept by the Course Tutor in their files.
Malpractice is defined as any action that compromises the integrity and validity of an assessment and/or exam and quality assurance issues. This might include such issues as; non-compliance of the awarding bodies policies and procedures, mis-administration of exams/assessment by centre staff and also candidate malpractice.
Avoiding Malpractice by Learners
To assist learners in avoiding malpractice or plagiarism, all learners are sign posted to the CALAT website which provides access to all CALAT policies and procedures which includes the CALAT Malpractice and Plagiarism Policy in the document “Accreditation/Exam Policies and procedures For Candidates”. Sign posting is reinforced by tutors at induction and before the actual exam.
The Exam department sends out confirmation of date/time of exam including documentation covering exam practise and includes details of the following: JCQ “Warning to Candidates”, details of “What is malpractice”. This is sent to the learner. Tutors are then required to confirm in class, the receipt of the letter and to discuss and answer any questions regarding examination conditions and malpractice. A link to the document “Accreditation/Exam Policies and procedures For Candidates” will be included in the letters sent to both learner and tutor.
Procedures for investigating suspected malpractice:
All allegations must be reported to Strategic Service Manager, CALAT managers and/or straight to the awarding body within 7 working days. These allegations must be reported in writing by assessors, invigilators, quality reviewers, managers, tutors, candidates and members of the public. The awarding organisation must be informed before any investigation is instigated and must be fully involved in the investigation.
CALAT must respond to all reports and generate a full investigation following the individual awarding bodies’ guidelines for suspected malpractice.
The Head of Teaching and Learning will oversee all investigations and ensure that staff responsible for the qualification are accountable for all procedures used.
Each awarding body will have specific procedures that need to be followed; this will vary with each board. It is important that any forms (which can be downloaded from their websites) are completed and/or a written report which contains specified information.
The person(s) being investigated should be given time to prepare and respond to the allegations and be aware of all the evidence against them. They should also be informed of the procedures used for the investigation and what the actions/outcomes could be. They may be offered an interview to discuss the suspected malpractice issues.
All decisions by the Awarding bodies will be given in writing.
CALAT retains the sole discretion to take any further action deemed necessary against the members of staff, candidates etc.
Suspected Malpractice and Maladministration Policy
Malpractice including maladministration is defined as any action that compromises the integrity and validity of an assessment and/or exam and quality assurance issues. This might include such issues as; non-compliance of the awarding bodies policies and procedures, maladministration of exams/assessment by centre staff and also candidate malpractice.
Liability falls to:
Some examples of Centre/Exam staff maladministration:
Some examples of candidate malpractice:
Procedures for investigating suspected malpractice or maladministration:
All allegations must be reported to CALAT Strategic Service Manager, Programme managers and straight to the awarding body within 24 hours. These allegations must be reported in writing by assessors, invigilators, quality reviewers, managers, tutors, candidates and members of the public.
CALAT must respond to all reports and generate a full investigation following the individual awarding bodies’ guidelines for suspected malpractice. This may comprise of an initial investigation by staff independent from the person(s) being investigated and/or direct approach to the awarding body.
The Strategic Service Manager will oversee all investigations and ensure that staff responsible for the qualification are accountable for all procedures used.
Each awarding body will have specific procedures that need to be followed; this will vary with each board. It is important that any forms (which can be downloaded from their websites) are completed and/or a written report which contains specified information – this may include:
The person(s) being investigated should be given time to prepare and respond to the allegations and be aware of all the evidence against them, although this could be offered in a discretionary way to protect the identity of any informant. They should also be informed of the procedures used for the investigation and what the actions/outcomes could be. They may be offered an interview to discuss the suspected malpractice issues.
Outcomes:
All decisions by the Awarding bodies will be given in writing – it is the responsibility of CALAT to communicate these decisions to the individuals concerned.
These decisions could include:
If there are wider implications for the integrity of the qualification then this may involve information being exchanged between the awarding bodies and the regulatory authorities/police.
CALAT retains the sole discretion to take any further action deemed necessary against the members of staff, candidates etc.
Appeals:
Appeals against the outcomes should be made to the CALAT Strategic Service Manager. The Strategic Service Manager can appeal against sanctions on behalf of the centre and/or candidate.
Appeal information for those involved in malpractice decisions will be sent out with the outcome.
Examples from of malpractice or maladministration from JCQ:
Centre Malpractice
1) Case type: security breach
Outcome: several students disqualified, staff warned
A timetable clash meant that several students were sitting their A-Level Economics exam in the afternoon, rather than in the scheduled morning session. They were supervised in the morning by an invigilator. To support students’ revision, the invigilator provided them with a copy of what they thought was an old question paper. The invigilator actually, by mistake, provided them with a copy of the A-Level Economics paper they were due to sit that afternoon.
The students were aware of the error but, rather than reporting it, instead chose to study the paper in detail. The awarding body became aware of this when they received contact from a student at a different school who had been told what had happened. Evidence of the alleged malpractice was identified in text messages between the students.
The exam board asked the head of centre to gather evidence, including statements from the relevant staff members and students. The students involved were disqualified from all of the awarding body’s qualifications in that series and the staff involved were provided with written warnings.
2) Case type: deception
Outcome: teacher barred from delivering awarding body’s qualifications
Whilst reviewing students’ Health & Social Care assessments, a teacher amended students’ work, in order to enhance their work ahead of an upcoming moderation visit. This was done without the students’ knowledge.
The college became aware of this due to the teacher’s IT activity and reported it to the awarding body. Upon investigation, it became apparent that more work had been altered than the teacher had initially admitted, including making amendments for a unit they had not taught.
The outcome of the case was that the teacher was barred from any involvement in the awarding body’s qualifications for a period of four years.
3) Case type: Improper assistance
Outcome: students’ work not accepted, teacher barred from delivering awarding body’s qualifications and invigilator instructed to undergo training
During their Art exam, three students were given direction by their teacher regarding their art work. They were also permitted to listen to music via their headphones.
The Head of Centre became aware of this and reported it to the awarding body. Following the investigation, the case was put before the Malpractice Committee. The Committee found that the teacher had provided improper assistance and that both the teacher and the invigilator had committed maladministration by allowing the students to listen to music.
The teacher was barred from delivering the awarding body’s qualifications and the invigilator was instructed to complete additional training. The students’ work could not be accepted and so they received a calculated mark for the component.
4) Case type: maladministration
Outcome: Head of Department barred from delivering an awarding body’s qualifications for four years
A school became aware of a number of concerns relating to students’ Art exams. Concerns included students having access to their phones, assessments being completed in the incorrect timeframe, students being allowed to listen to music, and students continuing to work on their pieces after the exam. In addition, the Head of Art had tampered with some students’ paintings.
The Head of Art acknowledged that the exam hadn’t been conducted in accordance with JCQ regulations. She hadn’t read the JCQ regulations or the invigilation information that had been given to staff.
The school reported their concerns to the awarding body, who decided that the case clearly showed a failure to adhere to the regulations, as well as malpractice due to students’ work being tampered with. The Head of Art was barred from delivering the exam board’s qualifications for four years.
Candidate malpractice
1) Case type: unauthorised materials
Outcome: student’s paper disqualified
Before sitting their Business exam, students were advised by their school that they weren’t allowed to take phones into the exam hall – and all students were asked to confirm that their phones were off and in their bag. During the exam, one student said that they’d finished the paper, then took out their mobile phone from their pocket and began using it.
The school submitted a JCQ M1 form to notify the awarding body, alongside an incident log detailing the above events, signed by the student and invigilator. The awarding body found the student to be in breach of JCQ regulations due to their possession of an unauthorised item and they were given 0 marks for the paper, meaning they didn’t pass the qualification.
2) Case type: copying and collusion
Outcome: Candidate disqualified, invigilator received warning and also required to undergo training
An examiner reported that multiple answers in the scripts of two students from one school were similar. The awarding body asked the Head of Centre to gather evidence regarding the matter.
When the Head of Centre interviewed the two students, one of them admitted to copying the other’s work. The investigation highlighted that the school hadn’t ensured there was sufficient distance between the two students.
The student who’d copied the work was disqualified from the qualification as a result. The invigilator received a warning and was required to undertake further training.
3) Case type: social media
Outcome: Candidate disqualified
At midday before they sat an afternoon exam, two students received an Instagram post containing the images of six papers. The post claimed these were taken from the question paper the students were due to sit that afternoon.
The two students reported it to their teacher immediately, who then contacted the awarding body which confirmed the images were of the live paper – and they conducted a thorough investigation to identify the sender.
Once the sender was identified, they contacted the relevant school, who confirmed that the student in question had a timetable clash, meaning they’d taken the exam earlier. When the student was approached, they immediately admitted to smuggling a phone into the exam and taking these images, which they then shared to Instagram.
The investigation identified the majority of the followers who’d viewed the post – some had only seen the post briefly and some didn’t have their phone with them at the time.
The student who’d taken the images and shared them received a disqualification which meant they weren’t able to pass the qualification.
4) Case type: plagiarism
Outcome: students given a formal warning by the awarding body
Before students completed their coursework, their college informed them about plagiarism and the need to reference their work. However, during the moderation process the moderator alerted the awarding body to suspected plagiarism.
The plagiarised material was predominantly confined to facts and definitions and the two students had copied and pasted this information into their projects.
The college was not found to have committed malpractice, as teachers had taught students about plagiarism and how to avoid it. However, the two students who had plagiarised were given a formal warning by the awarding body.
For most learners undertaking a qualification the most appropriate route to qualification achievement is by following a programme of learning. In some instances a learner may already possess significant prior learning and/or qualifications. In these instances it may be appropriate for the learner to request RPL, Exemption or Credit Transfer.
RPL is a method of assessment that considers whether a learner can demonstrate that they meet the requirements of a unit through knowledge understanding and skills they already possess and do not need to develop through a course of learning.
Exemption is where a learner claims exemption from some of the achievement requirements of a QCF qualification, using evidence of certificated non-QCF achievement deemed to be of equivalent value.
Credit Transfer refers to the process of transferring credits from one unit/qualification across to another for certification purposes.
Learner and CALAT Responsibilities
Learners can only RPL, request exemption or credit transfer for whole units. In some cases a learner may need to produce an additional piece of evidence to meet all of the learning outcomes of a unit; this will form part of the learner’s individual assessment plan. It is not possible for a learner to evidence parts of a unit by RPL.
It is the learner’s responsibility to request RPL, exemption or credit transfer and to provide evidence the process.
It is CALAT’s responsibility to inform learners of the RPL process and to provide information, advice and guidance based on a learner’s individual knowledge, understanding and skills.
Stages of the RPL Process
Stage 1: Learner informs CALAT department that they wish to use RPL to achieve their qualification.
Stage 2: Assessment of prior learning and guidance by the curriculum area. Learner and curriculum assessor establish what units can be evidenced using RPL, exemption and credit transfer. An assessment plan is produced detailing what evidence the learner needs to produce. Where RPL, exemption or credit transfer is not possible this will be clearly explained.
The decision on RPL, exemptions and credit transfer should be made by a suitably qualified tutor/assessor who is familiar with the current qualification requirements.
The tutor/assessor will need to decide whether the evidence of RPL is
Stage 3: RPL evidence will be assessed with the same rigour as any other assessment method and will also be reviewed as part of the Internal Quality Assurance process (Internal Verification)
Stage 4: Where RPL is the sole decision of CALAT, the curriculum areas confirm whether the units have been achieved using RPL. Where Awarding Organisations have to be consulted, or evidence submitted to them in respect of RPL, it is the Awarding Organisation which will make the final decision, and an appeal will only be possible if further evidence is provided by the learner to meet any objections from the Awarding Organisation.
Stage 5: Credit for the relevant units is awarded. This would normally be done once all the units for the qualification have been achieved using the normal curriculum area processes.
Stage 6: Learners not happy with decisions regarding RPL can appeal using the CALAT appeals procedure on pages 5 – 8.
Awarding bodies have differing appeals procedures, please refer to awarding body guidelines for specific appeals.
Our curriculum strategy has been developed to recognise the future context and considers both local and national economic and skills requirements. These are not exhaustive, and the curriculum offer will adapt and reflect emerging priorities over the five-year period. We are currently reviewing this strategy.
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