Orvanta Open College
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that assessment at Orvanta Open College is conducted in a fair, valid, reliable, and transparent manner. This policy sets out the principles and procedures governing assessment across all programmes delivered through distance and blended learning and ensures compliance with awarding organisation and regulatory requirements.
Scope
This policy applies to:
All registered learners of Orvanta Open College.
All programmes and qualifications delivered online or via blended learning.
All staff involved in the design, delivery, assessment, and internal quality assurance of learning.
Policy Statement
Orvanta Open College is committed to:
Providing assessments that are fair, accessible, and inclusive.
Ensuring assessment decisions are consistent, evidence-based, and aligned with published criteria.
Applying awarding organisation requirements rigorously and transparently.
Maintaining robust systems of internal and external quality assurance.
Assessment will be designed to reflect the learning outcomes of each qualification and to give learners the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and competence.
Responsibilities
Assessors are responsible for setting, marking, and providing feedback in accordance with awarding body guidelines.
Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs) are responsible for monitoring and standardising assessment decisions to ensure consistency.
Learners are responsible for completing assessments honestly, submitting their own work, and meeting deadlines.
The Centre Director / Head of Quality has overall responsibility for ensuring assessment practices comply with awarding body and regulatory requirements.
Principles of Assessment
All assessments at Orvanta Open College will be:
Valid – aligned to intended learning outcomes and qualification standards.
Reliable – applied consistently across learners, assessors, and contexts.
Fair and Equitable – free from bias, discrimination, or undue disadvantage.
Transparent – assessment criteria and requirements are made clear to learners in advance.
Authentic – learners’ work must be their own and plagiarism will not be tolerated.
Assessment Procedures
Assessment Design – assessments will be designed in line with awarding body specifications, ensuring accessibility for distance learning delivery.
Submission – learners must submit work electronically via the College’s designated platform by published deadlines.
Marking and Feedback – assessors will provide constructive, written feedback within 15 working days of submission.
Internal Quality Assurance – IQAs will sample assessed work in accordance with the IQA strategy to ensure consistency.
Resubmission and Reassessment – learners who do not meet the required standard may be permitted one resubmission, in line with awarding body rules.
Appeals – learners have the right to appeal against an assessment decision in accordance with the College’s Appeals Policy.
Malpractice and Plagiarism
Any suspected malpractice, maladministration, or plagiarism will be investigated in accordance with the Malpractice, Maladministration, and Plagiarism Policy .
Learners found guilty of malpractice may face disciplinary action, including referral to the awarding body.
Monitoring and Review
Assessment practices and learner outcomes will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Quality Assurance Team.
The policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if required by awarding body or regulatory changes.
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