Ascentis Arrangements for Assessing and Awarding Qualifications in 2022-23
Updated 25/08/2022:
Ascentis arrangements & centre guidance for the assessment and awarding of vocational, technical and other general qualifications in 2022 to 2023:
For qualifications, including vocational and technical qualifications taught alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels, a range of adaptations were permitted in academic year 2021 to 2022. Awarding organisations decided which adaptations were appropriate for their qualifications in accordance with Ofqual’s Vocational and Technical Qualifications Contingency Regulatory Framework (VCRF).
Some adaptations were in response to public health restrictions. Given that public health restrictions are no longer in place, these adaptations are no longer necessary for the academic year 2022 to 2023 onwards.
The Education and Training Foundation have now confirmed that there will be no continued adaptions available for Education and Training Qualifications in 2022-23.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our Quality Assurance Team qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk if you require any further information on the arrangements for the assessment and awarding of Ascentis qualifications in 2022-2023.
Access to HE Qualifications
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) have published the arrangements for the Award and Assessment of the Access to HE Diploma in 2022-23.
Please note;
For students starting their course from the 1st August 2022 an Extraordinary Regulatory Framework will not apply. It will no longer be permissible to:
- approve adaptations to the method of delivery, units delivered or assessment tasks in response to the pandemic.
- apply the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework arrangements relating to the principles of quality assurance.
- And activities undertaken for the development, quality assurance and award of Access to HE Diplomas should continue in accordance with the requirements of the QAA Recognition Scheme for Access to Higher Education (the Recognition Scheme).
Continuing Students (A continuing student is defined as a student who was registered on their course before 1st August 2022 and will continue their studies into the following academic year [1st August 2022 – 31st July 2023]. This will also include any students who took a break in learning and are returning to their course from 1 August 2022.)
Arrangements relating to the principles of quality assurance under the Extraordinary Regulatory Framework will apply where there have been:
- adaptations to the method of delivery, units delivered or assessment tasks on the Diploma in response to the pandemic have been approved and commenced prior to 1st August 2022 and/or
- have experienced extenuating circumstances due to the pandemic, prior to 1st August 2022.
In addition to this the QAA have decided to keep;
Award through extenuation
QAA recognises that outside the pandemic there may be particular circumstances where students, or providers, are significantly affected in the delivery or award of the Diploma through no fault of their own. In addition, lessons have been learned from the regulatory arrangements that have been put in place during the pandemic. Therefore, from 1st August 2022, an ‘award through extenuation' procedure will be incorporated into the QAA Grading Scheme (Section E).
Please see below some links from QAA to posters that summarise the Arrangements for the Award and Assessment of the Access to HE Diploma in 2022-23:
Your centres allocated Ascentis Quality Assurance Manager will be able to support you with any queries you may have throughout this academic year.
Key Documents, Resources and Policies
Ascentis has a range of useful subject-specific resources to support all aspects of the delivery of our qualifications. For example, our brand new ESOL Skills for Life Handbook and Community Interpreting Centre Guidance. We have our Policies and documents to support the delivery of Ascentis qualifications. These documents and policies are located in the Login Area of the Ascentis website.
EQA Activity
For Ofqual, CCEA and Qualifications Wales regulated provision, EQA activity will be completed both face to face and remotely during 2022-23. Your allocated Centre Quality Reviewer and External Quality Assurer(s) will be in contact to discuss the arrangements for 2022-23. If you require further information on EQA activity, please contact qualityassurance@ascentis.co.uk.
Contact Information and Support
Our Customer Support Team will continue to support you in 2022-23, our main contact number is 01524 845046 or alternatively please email them at hello@ascentis.co.uk.
If you need to get in touch with one of our teams, you can contact them directly on the following emails:
- Ofqual, CCEA & Qualifications Wales Quality Assurance Team - QualityAssurance@ascentis.co.uk
- Access to HE Quality Assurance Team - ahed@ascentis.co.uk
- Awarding Team – awarding@ascentis.co.uk
- Operations Events Team – events@ascentis.co.uk
- Operations Exams Team - exams@ascentis.co.uk
- Finance Team - Finance@ascentis.co.uk
- IT Team – support@ascentis.co.uk
- Development Team – development@ascentis.co.uk
- Commercial Team – commercial@ascentis.co.uk
Staff will continue to respond to their emails; this will be the preferred method of communication.
Your Centre
If circumstances occur which may further impact your learners please ensure that you inform us immediately so that we are better able to support you.
Results and Certificates
Ascentis will normally process results and issue certificates within 4 weeks of the verification date, with the exception of Short Online Qualifications and Access to HE provision.
Access to HE: Ascentis will normally issue learner result slips and e-Certificates within 5 working days of the Final Awards Board and learner hard copy certificates, if requested, within 4 weeks of the Final Awards Board.
Short Online Qualifications: For classroom-based assessments provisional results are provided immediately after the e-Assessment. An hour after the e-Assessment the achievement list report can be run through QuartzWeb. Learner result slips and certificates will be issued within 10 working days of the e-Assessment.
- For e-Invigilation-based assessments that have satisfied exam requirements, the confirmation of results and e-Certificates will be available in QuartzWeb within 5 working days. For any results that require further scrutiny due to potential breach of exam requirements, results will be released once reviewed by the Ascentis Quality Assurance Team. Learner results slips and certificates will be issued within 10 working days of the e-Assessment. To view our FAQ on e-Invigilation and remote assessments click here.
Centres have the option to receive e-Certificates only or hard copy certificates and e-Certificates.
If you have any questions regarding certificates then please email the Awarding Team at awarding@ascentis.co.uk
Enquiries
In the meantime if you have any questions, please get in touch with your usual contact at Ascentis or contact us at hello@ascentis.co.uk
