If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment outcome, they have the right to appeal. There are 3 stages in the Appeals Procedure and each stage must be exhausted before proceeding to the next one. Students are advised to keep their own copies of all the documents used in the Appeals Procedure. The main reasons for an appeal are likely to be:
- The student does not understand why they are not yet regarded as competent, due to unsatisfactory feedback from the Training Adviser
- The student believes they are competent and that the Training Adviser has misjudged them or has failed to utilise some vital evidence
Stage 1
If a student has received information relating to their competence with which they are unsatisfied, they have the right to appeal directly to the Training Adviser who carried out the assessment. This appeal must be made without unreasonable delay and be in writing and clearly indicate:
- The points of disagreement
- The evidence in the portfolio that the student believes meets the requirements of the performance criteria for claiming competence
The Training Adviser will reply in writing and where practicable this will normally be within 10 working days. If this is not possible, the learner will be informed when a response will be provided.
Stage 2
Students who are not satisfied with the outcome of their Stage 1 Appeal can appeal to the Centre’s Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) within 5 working days of the grievance response. This appeal must be in writing, but need not repeat the detail provided at Stage 1 as all the documentation used at Stage 1 will be passed to the IQA. The IQA will reply in writing and where practicable this will normally be within 10 working days. If this is not possible, the student will be informed when a response will be provided.
Stage 3
Students who are not satisfied with the outcomes of Stage 2 of the appeals procedure may proceed to Stage 3. This appeal must be in writing to the Chamber’s Performance and Quality Manager but need not repeat the detail provided at Stages 1 and 2 as all the documentation will be passed to the PQM. The Performance and Quality Manager will respond in writing and where practicable this will normally be within 10 working days. If this is not possible, the learner will be informed when a response will be provided.
The Performance and Quality Manager may appoint an independent Training Adviser to review the portfolio evidence. The independent Training Adviser will then report to the Performance and Quality Manager with recommendations to reject or uphold the appeal.
If the student is not satisfied with the outcome from Stage 3, then they can contact the Awarding Body. Details of the Awarding Body will be supplied by St Helens Chamber with the written outcome from Stage 3. The Awarding Body’s decision is final.
GCE Examinations
If there is a concern about the result of GCE Examinations an enquiry can be made to the Awarding Body within one week of the published results. For further information please see JCQ “GCE examinations Entry, aggregation and certification procedures”
Appeals against internally assessed marks (GCSE controlled assessments and GCE coursework units)
St Helens Chamber is committed to ensuring that whenever its staff mark candidates’ controlled assessments/coursework this is done fairly, consistently and in accordance with the awarding body’s specification and subject-specific associated documents.
Candidates’ work will have to be marked by staff who have appropriate knowledge, understanding and skill, and who have been trained in this activity. St Helens Chamber is committed to ensuring work produced by candidates is authenticated in line with the requirements of the awarding body. Where a number if subject teachers are involved in marking candidates’ work, internal moderation and standardisation will ensure consistency of marking.
If a candidate believes that this may not have happened in relation to his/her work, he/she may make use of this appeals procedure.
N.B: an appeal may only be made against the assessment process and not against the mark submitted to the awarding body.
- Appeals should be made as early as possible, and no later than two weeks before the last timetabled examination in the series (e.g. GCSE written paper in the June GCSE examination series).
- Appeals must be made in writing by the candidates’ parent/carer to the examinations officer.
- The head of centre will appoint a senior member of staff to conduct the investigation. The senior member of staff will not have had any involvement in the internal assessment process for that subject.
- The purpose of the appeal will be to decide whether the process used for internal assessment conformed to the awarding body’s specification and subject-specific associated documents.
- The appellant will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal, including any relevant correspondence with the awarding body, and any changes made to the internal assessment procedures.
- The outcome of the appeal will be made known to the head of centre and will be logged as a complaint. A written record will be kept and made available to the awarding body upon request. Should the appeal bring any irregularity in procedures to light, the awarding body will be informed.
After candidates’ work has been internally assessed, it is moderated by the awarding body to ensure consistency in marking between centres. The moderation process may lead to mark changes. The process is outside the control of St Helens Chamber and is not covered by this procedure.
