| Document code | AA-AW-001 | Version | 1.0 |
| Owner | Head of Quality / Responsible Officer | Approved by | Governing Body / Responsible Officer |
| Effective date | To be confirmed | Review date | Annual or sooner if required |
| Status | Draft for Ofqual recognition evidence | Classification | Internal controlled document |
| Related evidence folder | 07 Assessment and Awarding Evidence | Applies to | Albion Awards staff, centres and contractors |
1. Purpose
This policy sets out how Albion Awards will assure the quality, consistency, validity and reliability of assessment decisions made by approved centres. It explains the internal quality assurance expectations that apply before, during and after assessment, and defines the minimum controls that centres must operate when delivering Albion Awards qualifications.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all Albion Awards qualifications, assessments, assessors, Internal Quality Assurers, centre managers, assessment sites, evidence types and learner cohorts. It applies to centre-based internal quality assurance and to Albion Awards oversight of that activity through external quality assurance.
3. Policy commitments
- Albion Awards will require each approved centre to maintain an effective internal quality assurance system before certification is permitted.
- Assessment decisions must be sampled, checked and standardised by competent Internal Quality Assurers.
- IQA must be planned, risk-based, proportionate and sufficiently documented.
- Centres must not claim certificates until required IQA activity has been completed and any actions have been resolved.
- IQA records must be retained securely and made available to Albion Awards and its External Quality Assurers on request.
- Where risks are identified, Albion Awards may increase EQA monitoring, suspend certification, apply sanctions or require remedial action.
4. Roles and responsibilities
| Role | Responsibilities |
| Centre Manager | Ensures the centre has qualified assessors, IQAs, assessment resources, secure records and an active IQA plan. |
| Assessor | Makes valid assessment decisions, gives feedback to learners and responds to IQA actions. |
| Internal Quality Assurer | Samples assessment practice and decisions; checks consistency; supports standardisation; records findings and actions. |
| External Quality Assurer | Reviews centre IQA arrangements and evidence; confirms whether certification can proceed. |
| Albion Awards Responsible Officer | Maintains oversight of assessment risks, escalations, sanctions and regulatory implications. |
5. IQA principles
- Independence: IQA must be conducted by a person who has not assessed the same learner evidence.
- Competence: IQAs must have appropriate subject, assessment and quality assurance knowledge.
- Sufficiency: sampling must cover assessors, units, learner groups, evidence types and assessment methods.
- Risk-based control: new assessors, new centres, new qualifications, borderline decisions and prior issues require higher sampling.
- Timeliness: IQA must occur early enough to correct issues before certification.
- Traceability: all IQA decisions, actions, feedback and sign-offs must be recorded.
6. IQA planning procedure
- The centre prepares an annual IQA plan covering each qualification and delivery cohort.
- The plan identifies assessors, units, assessment windows, learner numbers, sampling points and IQA responsibilities.
- The plan applies risk ratings to assessors, units and learner groups.
- The Centre Manager approves the plan and submits it to Albion Awards or the EQA when requested.
- The plan is reviewed whenever delivery changes, new staff are appointed or quality issues arise.
7. Minimum sampling expectations
The sampling strategy must be proportionate to risk and must normally include interim and summative sampling. As a minimum, centres must sample across:
- each assessor
- each qualification and unit delivered
- each assessment method used
- a range of pass, borderline and referral decisions
- new or changed assessment materials
- reasonable adjustment and special consideration cases where relevant
A centre must increase sampling where it is new, where an assessor is inexperienced, where previous actions have been raised, where learner outcomes are unusual, or where the EQA or Albion Awards requires additional assurance.
8. IQA activity
- IQA may include observation of assessment practice, review of learner evidence, review of assessor feedback, scrutiny of assessment records, interviews with staff or learners, and checking of assessment conditions.
- IQA feedback must be clear, evidence-based and recorded.
- Actions must include an owner, deadline, required evidence and sign-off record.
- Where assessment decisions are found to be invalid or unreliable, affected learner decisions must be reviewed before results are released.
9. Standardisation
Centres must hold regular standardisation meetings to promote common interpretation of learning outcomes, assessment criteria and grading requirements. Standardisation records must show attendance, materials reviewed, decisions made and actions agreed. Albion Awards may require attendance at Albion Awards-led standardisation events.
10. Certification control
No certificate claim may be submitted until all required assessment and IQA records are complete. Albion Awards may block or delay certification where IQA evidence is absent, incomplete or raises unresolved concerns.
11. Records and retention
- IQA plans
- sampling records
- assessor feedback records
- standardisation minutes
- action logs and sign-off evidence
- centre risk ratings
- evidence supporting certification claims
Records must be retained in line with the Albion Awards Data Protection and Records Retention Policies and must be retrievable for EQA, appeals, complaints, investigations or regulatory review.
12. Non-compliance
Failure to maintain effective IQA may lead to action plans, increased sampling, suspension of certification, centre sanctions, withdrawal of centre approval or referral for malpractice and maladministration investigation.
Approval and review record
| Version | Date | Summary of change | Approved by |
| 1.0 | To be confirmed | Initial controlled version for Ofqual recognition application | Responsible Officer / Governing Body |