Assessment Policy

Introduction

The aim of assessment is to:

1. Inform students of their individual progress
2. Ensure that the required academic standards are met, maintained and monitored.
3. Develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of students.
4. Provide evaluative assessment and feedback.
5. Inform academic staff of the effectiveness of their teaching.

General Practices and Procedures for Assessment

1. The evidence requirements for assessment outcomes should be carefully constructed to ensure that all participating students have an equal opportunity to achieve e.g. the use of a specific piece of equipment or the creation of specific artifacts should not be mandatory if this would preclude a student with a related disability.
2. Assessment of students work is based on either awarding body and/or College devised assessment criteria
3. All provision/courses must have a planned assessment process, which includes; timing and number of assessments and/or assignments, assessment deadline dates and the number of days assessed work will be returned within.
4. Students must be given a statement of the assessment requirements for their programme/course as in 1 above and be inducted in these.
5. Assessments must be based upon clearly defined assessment and/or grading criteria to ensure that academic staff and students are aware of the requirements of the assessment.
6. All assessments must be marked and/or graded according to the assessment criteria set.
7. Feedback must be given at a level and depth that ensures assessment is an integral and critical part of the total learning process.
8. Internal Verification must be undertaken on all assessment/assignment briefs according to College policy and any additional Award Body requirements.
9. Academic performance and progress on assessments are to be discussed with individual students as an integral part of the tutorial programme.
10. Assessment will form part of the discussion at course team meetings as a standing agenda item.
11. Academic staff must keep up to date records of assessments for all their students and monitor their progress on assessments.
12. Accurate and up to date records of all student assessments must be kept and maintained as part of the course and Award Body documentation.
13. Assessment outcomes must not be disclosed in any unauthorised manner to any unauthorised individuals.
14. Records of assessments must be secure and free from interference by unauthorised individuals.
15. Any specific requirements of award bodies regarding assessment not covered by this policy must be adhered to at all times.
16. Course teams must review assessments and assessment procedures/processes annually to ensure that they are current and valid.
17. All course teams are to hold a Final Examiners Meeting upon completion of all assessment for the current academic year.

Assessment Procedures

Specific requirements regarding assessment and grading are maintained by the awarding body concerned and are available through the course leader. The following is a summary of procedures that are determined at college level.

Work handed in by the agreed deadline date will be marked and returned within 10 working days as per course quality standards.

Work handed in by the agreed deadline date will be marked and returned containing comprehensive feedback. The aim of the feedback is to enable the student to clearly identify areas for further improvement in their work. For graded courses students will also be advised as to when in the course an opportunity to raise their grades will be possible.

Students will have the opportunity to act on the feedback provide and resubmit previously marked work on one further occasion, providing that;

Students who hand in work after a set deadline date will be subject to the college disciplinary procedures, where no mitigating circumstances are recognised this can ultimately lead to exclusion.

For two year courses

All first year assessed units/projects must be completed before the commencement of the second year of the course.

Students not completing all compulsory first year units will be required to repeat the first year of the course or submit work as an external candidate, and will be subjected to External Candidate Re-Submission Fees.

Students not completing all compulsory second year units before the course end date, will be required to submit their work as an external candidate, and will be subjected to External Candidate Re-Submission Fees.

Where courses are staged or phased, all units deemed necessary for completion before moving on to higher level units, must be completed before commencement of the higher level units.

Learners who wish to resubmit their portfolio for assessment after the course end date will be required to submit their work as an external candidate, and will be subjected to External Candidate Re-Submission Fees.

Last Updated Sept 2010 Nina Spencer