20Where all the partners in a partnership arrangement are members of our Scheme, a student may bring a complaint to us about what any partner has done or not done. Even though one partner will have issued the Completion of Procedures Letter we may consider what each of the partners has done or not done, depending on the particular circumstances of the case.
21Sometimes a student may complain to us about one partner but we establish that another partner was responsible for the matter complained about. In that case, we may consider the complaint as being about the other partner. Sometimes it is very difficult to untangle which partner is responsible for different parts of a student’s complaint. We will decide whether to seek information from one or both partners. We may decide to uphold the student’s complaint about both or all partners and recommend a remedy for the student, and expect the partners to work together to deliver that remedy. We will always give the provider to which we are making the Recommendation(s) the opportunity to respond to the complaint before we finalise the Recommendation(s).
Arrangements involving an awarding provider or awarding organisation and a delivery partner
22In some arrangements, a delivery partner or teaching partner delivers all or part of the teaching and other learning opportunities leading to a qualification, or part of a qualification, awarded by another provider or awarding organisation.
23It is good practice for the agreement between the partners to set out which partner is responsible for the operation of each of its complaints, appeals and other internal processes, and the extent to which each partner retains an oversight of the outcomes of those internal processes. Partners have discretion to consider the most appropriate operational model for their context (see paragraphs 9–19).
24Usually an awarding partner will have responsibility for any student concerns that relate to the quality and standards of its awards. An awarding partner will usually be responsible for making the final decision in respect of students’ academic appeals (including challenges to decisions about progression and classifications) and will usually issue the Completion of Procedures Letter in those cases.
25An awarding partner is also likely to have a significant interest in decisions made under other processes that directly relate to how students attain an award. This could include:
- decisions about assessment structure and content, for example, decisions about what adjustments it is reasonable to make to an assessment for a disabled student.
- decisions in respect of requests for additional consideration or decisions relating to academic misconduct.
- an interest in complaints relating to the quality of teaching and learning opportunities being delivered by the delivery partner.
The exact nature of this interest will vary depending on your context.
26Awarding partners may be directly involved in the investigation of such matters, and/or may be directly involved in making decisions under the relevant internal processes. Alternatively, awarding partners may not be involved in the investigation or decision-making on individual students’ concerns, but may choose to maintain oversight at a broader level. Depending on the context, it may be appropriate for either the awarding partner or the delivery partner to issue the Completion of Procedures Letter.
27It is common for delivery partners to take responsibility for handling complaints about any other aspect of the student’s experience that does not relate to the quality and standards of an academic award. For example, complaints about accommodation, provision of local services such as catering, access to buildings and other facilities, or timetabling arrangements. Delivery partners usually have a more direct relationship with a student and are often best placed to undertake support for study processes and provide other welfare support.
28Where the delivery partner makes the final decision about complaints, appeals or other internal processes, that will mark the end of the internal process for our purposes. The delivery partner should then issue a Completion of Procedures Letter.
29If the partners have decided that students can escalate the matter to the awarding partner, then the delivery partner should not normally issue a Completion of Procedures Letter. The delivery partner should explain to the student how they can pursue the matter with the awarding partner. The awarding provider should issue a Completion of Procedures Letter at the end of its internal processes.
Case study 1: When all the organisations in a partnership are members of the OIA Scheme
A student makes an academic appeal to a delivery partner. The delivery partner rejects the academic appeal as not meeting the grounds for appeal. The final stage of the academic appeals procedure is a review by the awarding partner. The awarding partner decides that the academic appeal process has been carried out fairly and the delivery partner was correct to reject the appeal as not meeting the grounds. The awarding partner issues a Completion of Procedures Letter.
If the student brings their complaint to us, we would be able to look at what both the delivery partner and the awarding partner had done.
Case study 2: When all the organisations in a partnership are members of the OIA Scheme
A student is studying at a delivery partner for a degree awarded by an awarding partner. The Complaints Process states that all complaints should be raised with the delivery partner in the first instance. The student complains to the delivery provider about disrepair in their student accommodation.
Under the agreement between the providers, the delivery partner has responsibility for considering complaints about aspects of students’ experience that do not relate to quality or standards of the academic award. The delivery partner considers and partly upholds the complaint at the initial stage and confirms its decision at review stage. The delivery partner makes an offer of financial compensation to the student and issues a Completion of Procedures Letter. The delivery partner provides a regular report to the awarding partner on all complaints it has handled.
The student is able to bring their complaint about the delivery partner’s decision to us.
Case study 3: When all the organisations in a partnership are members of the OIA Scheme
A student submits some assessed work to the delivery partner. The delivery partner suspects the work has been plagiarised. The agreement between the awarding partner and the delivery partner sets out that the delivery partner will be responsible for conducting investigations into instances of academic misconduct, and it will provide regular reports to the awarding partner about the volume and type of academic misconduct it investigates.
The delivery partner carries out an investigation under its academic misconduct process. It decides that there has been academic misconduct and applies a mark of zero to the assessed work as a penalty. The student makes an appeal against the finding and the penalty to the delivery partner. The delivery partner rejects the appeal and issues a Completion of Procedures letter. The student complains to us and we are able to review the actions of the delivery partner.
The student was unsuccessful in some other assessments, and the Examination Board that meets at the end of the academic year to consider students’ progression decides that the student cannot progress to the next year of study. The student submits an academic appeal to challenge this decision arguing that the impact of the penalty applied by the delivery partner has resulted in an unfair situation. Under the partnership agreement, the delivery partner completes the formal appeal stage of the process and then students have a right to request a review by the awarding partner. When the student completes that process, the awarding partner issues a Completion of Procedures letter. The student complains to us and we begin our review by considering the actions of the awarding partner. We could invite the delivery partner to contribute some information to our review if we decide that it would be helpful to our review of the complaint.
School Centred Initial Teacher Training providers (SCITTs)
30Many SCITTs work with a partner university to offer their teacher trainees (trainees) the opportunity to study for a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) awarded by the university. When the student successfully completes the course, the SCITT is responsible for recommending the trainee for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The PGCE content is usually delivered and overseen by the awarding university, for example through lectures or practical assessments.
31In many cases the SCITT will also be a qualifying institution and separate member of our Scheme. Where the SCITT is a member all its ITT trainees have recourse to the OIA including those on an Assessment only route.
32Trainees may be able to complain to us about anything the SCITT has done or not done, and anything the provider that awards their PGCE (if there is one) has done or not done.
33Providers of ITT including SCITTs can form partnerships to deliver ITT provision, often with lead partners and placement schools. In England the provider that is accredited by the Department for Education will be a member of our Scheme. The agreement between the various partners should set out each partner’s responsibilities.
34A trainee may have a complaint about something that has happened in the placement school. The accredited provider is ultimately responsible for all aspects of training, delivery and quality and should make sure that placement schools have fair processes in place, and that it has its own internal processes for the trainee to follow if the issue can’t be resolved at the placement school level.
35If the complaint issue is the responsibility of the SCITT, the SCITT should normally issue a Completion of Procedures Letter at the end of its internal procedures and the trainee should be able to complain directly to us without having to go to the PGCE-awarding university first.
36If the partners have an agreement that trainees can escalate the matter to the PGCE-awarding university, then the SCITT partner should not normally issue a Completion of Procedures Letter. The SCITT should explain to the student how they can pursue the matter with the awarding partner. The awarding partner should issue a Completion of Procedures Letter at the end of its internal processes.
Case study 4: When all the organisations in a partnership are members of the OIA Scheme
A trainee is studying on an initial teacher training course provided by a SCITT. They are also studying for a PGCE awarded by a university.
The trainee complains to the SCITT about the organisation and conduct of a teaching observation assessment undertaken by a university tutor and a teacher at the SCITT. The SCITT and the PGCE-awarding university are both members of the OIA Scheme. Their partnership agreement says that trainees can escalate complaints about the arrangements for joint practical assessments to the university if they are dissatisfied with the SCITT’s response. The trainee disagrees with the SCITT’s response to their complaint and asks the university to consider their concerns. The university rejects the trainee’s complaint and issues a Completion of Procedures Letter.
Arrangements where both partners are awarding partners
37All providers in England and Wales with degree awarding powers are members of the OIA Scheme. Some providers with degree awarding powers in England and Wales work together to deliver learning opportunities, for example leading to joint awards, double or multiple awards, intercalated awards, dual awards or concurrent awards. There are other types of arrangement and new models of delivery may emerge.
38It is good practice for the agreement between the partners to set out which provider is responsible for the day-to-day operation of its complaints, appeals and other internal processes, and the extent to which each partner retains an oversight of the outcomes of those processes.
39Providers have discretion to consider what operational model is most appropriate for their context. It is important to make it clear to students which partner will be responsible for responding to complaints, appeals and other internal processes.
40The partner responsible for the final stage of an internal process should issue the Completion of Procedures Letter enabling the student to complain to us if they wish to do so. When we receive a complaint, we may review either’s handling of the process if that is relevant to the complaint. Where only one provider in a partnership arrangement is a member of our Scheme, a student may only bring a complaint to us about what that partner has done or not done.
