Appeals Policy and procedure
Aim:
- To enable the learner to enquire, question or appeal against an assessment decision
- To attempt to reach an agreement between the learner and the Assessor at the earliest opportunity
- To standardise and record any appeal to ensure openness and fairness
- To facilitate a learner’s ultimate right of appeal to the Awarding Body, where Appropriate
- To protect the interests of all learners and the integrity of the qualification.
In order to do this, London Bridge College will:
- Inform the learner at induction, of the Appeals Policy and procedure
- Provide a copy of this policy via the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and linked to all course handbooks
- Record, track and validate any appeal
- Forward the appeal to the Awarding Body when a learner considers that a decision continues to disadvantage her/him after the internal appeals process has been exhausted
- Keep appeals records for scrutiny by the Awarding Body for a minimum of 18 months
- Have a staged appeals procedure
- Will take appropriate action to protect the interests of other learners and the integrity of the qualification, when the outcome of an appeal questions the validity of other results
- Monitor appeals to inform quality improvement.
Appeals procedure stages:
Stage 1– Informal:
The learner consults with Assessor within 5 working days following the assessment decision. This is undertaken via the messaging system within the VLE. This will provide an opportunity to discuss and clarify an assessment decision. If unresolved, the assessor will inform the lead IV and advise the learner to contact the lead IV
Stage 2– Review:
- This stage is a review of assessment decisions by an allocated or Lead Internal Verifier/. The IV will review the learner’s work, review the assessor feedback and assessment outcome (and grade if relevant) and complete and IV feedback form with the outcome of the scrutinised sample.
- If the IV has identified an error in the assessor’s assessment decision and/or feedback. The IV will provide actions for the assessor to re-assess the work, and an updated assessment decision will be entered for the learner.
- If the IV identifies that the assessor’s decision is accurate; the IV will prepare a statement to include additional rationale for the assessment decisions (if relevant).
- The learner will be informed of the IV review within 20 working days of raising the appeal with the IV. This will be done in writing via the Centre Manager, who will document the process.
If the learner feels that the dispute is still unresolved, move to stage 3
Stage 3– Appeal hearing:
- The Head of Vocational Education (HOVE) along with the Centre Manager (CM) will hear the appeal: last stage by London Bridge College.
- The learner must lodge this stage of the appeal within 5 working days of receiving the outcome of Stage 2
- The appeal will consist of a written statement from the learner, stating why they feel the decision is unfair, and the HOVE along with the CM will review the IV and assessor’s feedback, and if relevant review the learner’s work
- The learner will be informed of the outcome of the hearing within 20 working days of their learner statement being received by the CM. This will be done in writing via the Centre Manager, who will document the process.
If unresolved, move to stage 4
Stage 4– External appeal:
- This stage is conducted by Pearson. The learner is advised by the centre manager of their right to appeal to the Awarding Organisation.
- The grounds for appeal and any supporting documentation must be submitted by London Bridge College to Pearson within 14 days of the completion of Stage 4: a fee is levied.
- The fee along with an addition 25% is payable by the learner if the appeal is not upheld. Summative IV and qualification release for certification will be held if this fee is not paid within 21 days of being requested.
- The Pearson Learner appeal policy is followed
Key Considerations:
Recording appeals: each stage is recorded, dated and show either agreement or disagreement with decisions. This recording is managed on the London Bridge Appeal Log, which is maintain within Google Docs on a Google form.
Monitoring appeals: undertaken by the Centre Manager to inform development and quality improvement.
This policy and procedure is reviewed annually.
Last update: September 2020, Review: August 2021