Document control field	Details
Document reference	LRN-04
Version	v0.1 Draft
Owner	Responsible Officer
Approved by	Governing Body
Effective from	[Insert date]
Next review date	[Insert date]
Applies to	Albion Awards staff, approved centres, centre staff, tutors, assessors, IQAs, EQAs, learners, applicants and any person involved in assessment, quality assurance or certification activity
Primary audience	Centre managers, learner support staff, tutors, assessors, IQAs, EQAs, certification officers, complaints and appeals officers and learners
Linked documents	Assessment Policy; Assessment Design Procedure; Marking and Grading Guidance; Centre Approval Policy; Centre Agreement; Centre Handbook; Quality Assurance Framework; IQA Procedure; EQA Procedure; Standardisation Procedure; Certification Procedure; Complaints Policy; Appeals Policy; Malpractice and Maladministration Policy; Equality and Diversity Policy; Data Protection Policy; Records Retention Policy; Qualification Specification Portfolio; Module Bank

Document purpose: This policy explains how Albion Awards will consider, approve, record, monitor and review reasonable adjustments and special considerations so that learners are assessed fairly, without compromising qualification standards, assessment validity or public confidence.

Contents

1. Policy statement

2. Purpose

3. Scope

4. Legal and regulatory context

5. Definitions

6. Principles

7. Roles and responsibilities

8. Reasonable adjustments

9. Examples of reasonable adjustments

10. Limits on reasonable adjustments

11. Reasonable adjustment request procedure

12. Decision-making and approval authority

13. Special considerations

14. Examples of special consideration circumstances

15. Special consideration request procedure

16. Evidence requirements

17. Appeals and complaints

18. Centre responsibilities

19. Assessment security, validity and standards

20. Data protection, confidentiality and records

21. Monitoring, quality assurance and review

22. Malpractice, maladministration and misuse

23. Links to the Albion Awards Platform and AlmaBridge

24. Policy review

Appendix A – Reasonable adjustment request form

Appendix B – Special consideration request form

Appendix C – Decision record template

Appendix D – Indicative adjustment matrix

Appendix E – Centre checklist

1. Policy statement

Albion Awards is committed to ensuring that learners can access assessment fairly and that qualifications remain valid, reliable, comparable and credible. Reasonable adjustments and special considerations are important learner protection mechanisms, but they must be managed carefully so that the standard being assessed is not changed and no learner is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged.

Albion Awards will consider requests for reasonable adjustments before assessment and requests for special consideration after assessment where exceptional circumstances have affected a learner. Decisions will be evidence-based, proportionate, recorded, quality assured and subject to appeal or complaint where appropriate.

The policy applies to all Albion Awards qualifications, centres and assessment methods, including written assignments, case studies, board paper critiques, professional discussions, presentations, applied projects, portfolio evidence and any controlled assessment activity.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the arrangements used by Albion Awards and its approved centres to support fair access to assessment and consistent treatment of learners affected by disability, additional learning needs, health conditions or exceptional circumstances.

• define reasonable adjustments and special considerations;
• explain when requests should be made and who may make them;
• set out evidence requirements, approval authority and decision-making criteria;
• ensure approved adjustments do not change the knowledge, skills, judgement or competence being assessed;
• protect assessment validity, reliability, comparability, manageability and fairness;
• ensure decisions are recorded, auditable and available for IQA, EQA and regulatory review;
• provide a clear appeal or complaint route where a learner disagrees with a decision.

3. Scope

This policy applies to reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests relating to Albion Awards qualifications and assessments. It applies to requests made by learners, centres or centre staff, and to decisions made by Albion Awards staff, assessors, IQAs, EQAs, certification officers and authorised decision-makers.

This policy does not permit centres or assessors to lower the standard required for achievement, remove essential assessment criteria, award marks or grades without sufficient evidence, or issue certification where qualification requirements have not been met.

4. Legal and regulatory context

Albion Awards will design and operate this policy in a way that supports compatibility with Equalities Law, including the duty to avoid unlawful discrimination and to make reasonable adjustments where appropriate for disabled learners. The policy also supports Ofqual expectations concerning qualification validity, assessment fairness, accessibility, record keeping, complaints, appeals, malpractice, centre control and learner protection.

Albion Awards will collect and analyse equality-related data only where lawful, proportionate and necessary. Such data will be processed in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Policy and Records Retention Policy. Sensitive personal information will only be accessed by authorised staff or reviewers who need the information to make, review or quality assure a decision.

5. Definitions

The following definitions apply for Albion Awards qualifications.

Term	Definition
Reasonable adjustment	An arrangement made before assessment to reduce or remove a substantial disadvantage faced by a learner because of disability, health condition, additional learning need or other access requirement, without changing the standard being assessed.
Special consideration	A post-assessment adjustment to the way a result or assessment attempt is considered where a learner has been affected by temporary illness, injury, bereavement or other exceptional circumstances at or near the time of assessment.
Access arrangement	A practical arrangement that enables a learner to access assessment, such as extra time, accessible format, assistive technology, rest break or remote professional discussion.
Protected characteristic	A characteristic protected under Equalities Law, including disability and other protected characteristics relevant to fair access and non-discrimination.
Assessment standard	The knowledge, skills, judgement or competence that the learner must demonstrate to meet the learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
Centre	An organisation approved, or seeking approval, to deliver, assess or support Albion Awards qualifications.

6. Principles

Albion Awards will apply the following principles when considering reasonable adjustments and special considerations.

Principle	Application
Fair access	Learners should be able to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and judgement without unnecessary barriers.
Validity	Adjustments must not change the learning outcomes, assessment criteria or competence being assessed.
Reliability	Assessment decisions must remain consistent and evidence-based.
Comparability	Learners receiving adjustments must be assessed to the same standard as other learners.
Proportionality	Adjustments and considerations must be proportionate to the learner need and assessment context.
Timeliness	Reasonable adjustments should normally be requested before assessment; special considerations should be requested promptly after the affected assessment.
Evidence	Decisions must be supported by appropriate evidence, recorded clearly and retained securely.
Transparency	Learners must be informed of decisions and routes for appeal or complaint.

7. Roles and responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
Governing Body	Approves this policy, receives summary assurance reports and ensures that fair access arrangements are adequately resourced and monitored.
Responsible Officer	Owns this policy, ensures implementation, oversees high-risk or disputed decisions and escalates matters that may create an adverse effect.
Quality Assurance Lead	Monitors decision consistency, reviews EQA findings, analyses trends and recommends improvements.
Centre Manager	Ensures centre staff understand this policy, requests are made on time, evidence is retained and learners are informed of outcomes.
Tutor / Learner Support Staff	Identifies possible learner needs, supports learners to make requests and ensures approved arrangements are put in place.
Assessor	Applies approved adjustments, assesses only against published criteria and records any assessment issues.
IQA	Checks that approved adjustments have been applied consistently and that assessment decisions remain valid.
EQA	Samples records, reviews centre practice and checks that adjustments and special considerations are not compromising standards.
Certification Officer	Applies certification holds where reasonable adjustment, special consideration, appeal or malpractice records are unresolved.
Learner	Declares relevant needs or circumstances, provides requested evidence and follows centre or Albion Awards procedures.

8. Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are normally considered and approved before assessment. They are intended to remove or reduce unnecessary barriers that may prevent a learner from demonstrating the required knowledge, skills, judgement or competence.

A reasonable adjustment may relate to the format, timing, delivery, environment, support, technology or communication method used for assessment. It must be appropriate to the learner need, practical for the centre and consistent with the assessment purpose.

9. Examples of reasonable adjustments

Examples may include, but are not limited to, the following. The appropriateness of each adjustment depends on the assessment method, learner need and qualification requirements.

Adjustment type	Examples
Time and scheduling	Extra time, supervised rest breaks, flexible scheduling, shorter assessment sessions where appropriate.
Format and materials	Large print, accessible digital format, coloured paper, screen-reader compatible materials, plain-text versions.
Assistive technology	Screen readers, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, magnification software, adapted keyboard or other approved assistive tools.
Communication support	Reader, scribe, communication support worker, British Sign Language interpreter where compatible with the assessment.
Assessment environment	Separate room, reduced-distraction environment, remote professional discussion, adjusted seating or lighting.
Alternative evidence method	Oral professional discussion instead of written response, recorded presentation instead of live presentation, where the same criteria can be validly assessed.
Administrative arrangements	Modified submission arrangements, supported upload process, accessible instructions or clarification of administrative requirements.

10. Limits on reasonable adjustments

A reasonable adjustment must not compromise the qualification standard. Albion Awards will not approve adjustments that would remove or materially change an essential assessment requirement, give the learner an unfair advantage, prevent reliable assessment, or make achievement incomparable with other learners.

• remove required learning outcomes or assessment criteria;
• award achievement without sufficient evidence;
• allow another person to provide the learner’s substantive answer;
• permit unauthorised access to secure assessment materials;
• change a professional competence requirement that is central to the qualification;
• alter the grading standard or pass threshold unless the qualification specification expressly permits it;
• compromise assessment security, authenticity or confidentiality.

11. Reasonable adjustment request procedure

1. Learner need is identified by the learner, centre staff or through enrolment and learner support arrangements.
2. The centre discusses the possible adjustment with the learner and checks the relevant qualification specification and assessment requirements.
3. The centre submits a Reasonable Adjustment Request Form with supporting evidence before the assessment, unless the adjustment is already authorised within centre-delegated limits.
4. Albion Awards or the authorised centre decision-maker reviews the request against learner need, assessment validity, proportionality, practicality and evidence.
5. The decision is recorded as approved, approved with conditions, declined or referred for further review.
6. The learner is informed of the decision and any conditions or alternative arrangements.
7. The centre implements the approved adjustment and records how it was applied.
8. The assessor assesses the learner against the same assessment criteria and records any relevant assessment observations.
9. IQA and, where selected, EQA review the record to confirm that the assessment decision remains valid and fair.

12. Decision-making and approval authority

Albion Awards will define which adjustments may be approved by centres and which must be referred to Albion Awards. Centres must not approve high-risk adjustments without Albion Awards authorisation. The Responsible Officer or delegated Quality Assurance Lead will approve high-risk, unusual, disputed or precedent-setting requests.

Decision level	Examples	Approval authority
Centre-delegated adjustment	Standard extra time within published limit, accessible paper format, supervised rest breaks, agreed seating arrangement.	Centre Manager or named Learner Support Lead, subject to centre records and IQA review.
Albion Awards approval required	Alternative assessment format, reader or scribe in a competence-sensitive assessment, remote professional discussion replacing a live assessment, substantial timing change.	Quality Assurance Lead or Responsible Officer delegate.
Responsible Officer review	Unusual request, potential impact on validity, disputed decision, high-profile case, serious equality risk, possible adverse effect.	Responsible Officer.
Governing Body assurance	Trend, systemic concern or policy change requirement.	Reported through governance assurance rather than individual learner decision detail.

Declined requests: Where a reasonable adjustment request is declined, the reason will be recorded and the learner will be informed of the route to appeal or complain. Where possible, Albion Awards or the centre will consider an alternative adjustment that supports access without compromising the assessment standard.

13. Special considerations

Special consideration may be considered after an assessment where a learner’s performance or ability to complete the assessment has been materially affected by temporary illness, injury, bereavement or other exceptional circumstances at or near the time of assessment.

Special consideration is not a substitute for evidence of achievement. It cannot be used to award a qualification where required learning outcomes and assessment criteria have not been met. It may be used to allow a further assessment opportunity, adjust an administrative deadline, review the assessment conditions or take account of disruption within the limits permitted by the qualification and assessment design.

14. Examples of special consideration circumstances

May be considered	Normally not accepted
Short-term illness or injury affecting assessment performance.	Long-term circumstances that should have been managed through reasonable adjustment arrangements.
Bereavement or serious family crisis close to the assessment.	Minor domestic inconvenience or planned holiday.
Unexpected technical failure outside the learner’s control during an approved online assessment.	Technical issues caused by failure to follow published instructions or use required equipment.
Emergency caring responsibilities or serious disruption immediately before assessment.	Workload pressure, poor time management or lack of preparation.
Assessment administration error by the centre that affects the learner.	Retrospective request with no evidence or explanation.
Temporary mental or physical health crisis supported by appropriate evidence.	Request intended to improve a grade where no exceptional circumstance is evidenced.

15. Special consideration request procedure

1. The learner or centre identifies that exceptional circumstances may have affected an assessment.
2. The centre submits a Special Consideration Request Form as soon as possible after the assessment and normally within five working days unless exceptional reasons justify a later request.
3. The request includes details of the assessment affected, the nature of the circumstance, timing, evidence and any action already taken by the centre.
4. Albion Awards reviews the request and determines whether the circumstance is eligible, evidenced, material and within the permitted limits of the qualification.
5. Albion Awards records the decision as approved, approved with conditions, declined, deferred pending evidence or referred for further review.
6. The learner and centre are informed of the outcome.
7. Any approved action is implemented and recorded before certification is released.
8. The case is available for IQA, EQA, appeals, complaints and regulatory review where appropriate.

16. Evidence requirements

Evidence must be proportionate to the request and the learner’s circumstances. Albion Awards will avoid unnecessary or intrusive evidence requirements, but must have sufficient information to make a fair and auditable decision.

Request type	Possible evidence
Reasonable adjustment	Learner statement, existing support plan, medical or professional evidence, disability evidence, assessment needs assessment, centre learner support record, previous approved adjustment record.
Special consideration	Medical note, appointment evidence, bereavement evidence where appropriate, incident report, technical failure log, invigilator or assessor report, centre statement.
Centre administrative error	Centre incident report, assessment log, communication record, system record, learner statement.
Online assessment disruption	System log, screenshot, platform incident record, centre proctoring/invigilation report, timestamped communication.

17. Appeals and complaints

A learner or centre may appeal a reasonable adjustment or special consideration decision where they believe the procedure was not followed, relevant evidence was not considered, the decision was unreasonable, or the published criteria were misapplied.

A complaint may be made where the concern relates to service, communication, delay, conduct, accessibility of information or failure to provide appropriate information. Appeals and complaints will be managed under the relevant Albion Awards policy. Certification may be held where the appeal or complaint could affect the validity of the assessment or award.

18. Centre responsibilities

Centres are responsible for identifying, supporting, requesting, implementing and recording reasonable adjustments and special considerations in line with this policy.

• inform learners before enrolment and assessment about how to request reasonable adjustments and special considerations;
• ensure staff understand the difference between reasonable adjustments and special considerations;
• submit requests within required timescales and with appropriate evidence;
• obtain Albion Awards approval where required before applying an adjustment;
• apply approved adjustments accurately and consistently;
• keep secure records of requests, evidence, decisions and implementation;
• protect learner confidentiality and comply with UK GDPR;
• include records in IQA and make them available for EQA sampling;
• not promise a learner that an adjustment or special consideration will be approved before the decision is made;
• not alter assessment standards or award decisions outside Albion Awards procedures.

19. Assessment security, validity and standards

Reasonable adjustments and special considerations must be managed without compromising assessment security, authenticity, validity or standards. Where an adjustment affects the format, timing or delivery of assessment, the centre and Albion Awards must check whether additional controls are needed, such as identity checks, supervision, recording, second marking, increased IQA sampling or EQA review.

Where a request may affect the validity of assessment, the case must be referred to Albion Awards before the assessment takes place wherever possible. If a concern arises after assessment, certification must be placed on hold until the matter is resolved.

20. Data protection, confidentiality and records

Reasonable adjustment and special consideration records may include sensitive personal data. Albion Awards and centres must process such information lawfully, fairly, securely and only for legitimate assessment, quality assurance, learner support and regulatory purposes.

Records will be retained in line with the Records Retention Policy. Access will be limited to authorised persons, including relevant Albion Awards staff, centre staff, assessors, IQAs, EQAs, appeals reviewers or regulators where required. Learner medical or personal evidence must not be shared more widely than necessary.

Record	Minimum content
Reasonable adjustment record	Learner, centre, qualification, assessment, request, evidence summary, decision, conditions, implementation, decision maker, date.
Special consideration record	Learner, centre, qualification, assessment affected, circumstances, evidence summary, decision, action taken, decision maker, date.
Decision review record	Grounds for review, evidence considered, reviewer, decision, communication to learner or centre.
QA sampling record	Records sampled, findings, actions, closure evidence.

21. Monitoring, quality assurance and review

Albion Awards will monitor reasonable adjustment and special consideration activity as part of its quality assurance and annual qualification review arrangements. Monitoring will be used to identify potential barriers, inconsistent centre practice, assessment design issues, equality risks and training needs.

Data reviewed	Purpose
Number and type of reasonable adjustment requests	Identify access needs, recurring barriers and centre support requirements.
Approved, declined and referred requests	Monitor consistency and decision quality.
Special consideration requests by centre and qualification	Identify recurring disruption, delivery issues or assessment administration concerns.
Appeals and complaints linked to access decisions	Identify possible unfairness or communication issues.
Assessment outcomes where adjustments were applied	Check for potential validity, reliability or comparability issues.
IQA and EQA findings	Confirm that centre records and implementation are appropriate.
Malpractice or maladministration cases	Identify misuse, poor records or inappropriate application of adjustments.

22. Malpractice, maladministration and misuse

Failure to follow this policy may be treated as maladministration or malpractice depending on the circumstances. Examples include applying an adjustment without approval, falsifying evidence, using a special consideration request to compensate for lack of evidence, disclosing confidential learner information inappropriately, or issuing certification while an access-related concern remains unresolved.

Albion Awards may require corrective action, increased sampling, staff retraining, certification hold, centre action plan, suspension of centre activity or investigation under the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

23. Links to the Albion Awards Platform and AlmaBridge

The Albion Awards Platform will record reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests, decisions, evidence references, implementation records, certification holds and QA sampling outcomes. Access will be controlled through WordPress roles and permissions, supported by audit logging and document version control.

Where a reasonable adjustment, special consideration, appeal or malpractice matter may affect certification, the certification record will be held until the issue is resolved. AlmaBridge digital credentials will only be issued after Albion Awards has confirmed learner achievement and completed all required assessment, IQA, EQA and certification checks. Where a certificate or digital credential is amended, suspended or revoked, the certification record and credential status will be updated accordingly.

24. Policy review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually by the Responsible Officer and approved by the Governing Body. Earlier review may be triggered by changes in law or regulation, Ofqual feedback, significant appeal or complaint findings, EQA findings, equality monitoring data, malpractice cases, learner feedback or changes to qualification design or assessment methods.

A. Reasonable adjustment request form

Field	Information required
Learner name / ID
Centre name
Qualification and assessment
Requested adjustment
Reason for request
Evidence provided
Potential impact on assessment standard
Centre recommendation
Decision	Approved / approved with conditions / declined / referred
Decision maker and date
Implementation record
Learner notified	Yes / No

B. Special consideration request form

Field	Information required
Learner name / ID
Centre name
Qualification and assessment affected
Date of assessment
Circumstance described
Evidence provided
Action requested
Centre statement
Decision	Approved / approved with conditions / declined / deferred / referred
Decision maker and date
Certification hold required	Yes / No
Learner notified	Yes / No

C. Decision record template

Decision test	Record
Is the request within the scope of this policy?
Is the request timely?
Is the evidence sufficient and proportionate?
What assessment criteria or standards may be affected?
Would approval compromise validity or comparability?
Would approval create unfair advantage or disadvantage?
What mitigation or conditions are required?
What is the decision and reason?
Has the learner been told about appeal or complaint routes?

D. Indicative adjustment matrix

Adjustment	May be centre-approved	Albion approval required
Extra time within published limit	Yes, where supported by evidence and recorded.	Required where outside published limit or validity may be affected.
Accessible format	Yes, where content is unchanged.	Required where content, layout or assessment demand changes materially.
Rest breaks	Yes, where supervised and recorded.	Required where assessment security or timing is affected.
Reader or scribe	No, unless explicitly centre-delegated.	Required to check whether communication, interpretation or professional judgement is being assessed.
Alternative assessment format	No.	Required.
Remote professional discussion	No, unless already permitted by the assessment specification.	Required where replacing an in-person or live requirement.
Assistive technology	Yes, if compatible with assessment security and records are kept.	Required where the tool may generate, interpret or improve the substantive answer.

E. Centre checklist

• Learners are informed of reasonable adjustment and special consideration procedures before assessment.
• Staff understand what can and cannot be approved locally.
• Requests are made before assessment wherever possible.
• Evidence is proportionate and securely stored.
• Approved adjustments are implemented exactly as authorised.
• Assessment criteria and grading standards are not changed.
• IQA samples access arrangement records where relevant.
• EQA can access records during sampling or review.
• Declined requests include recorded reasons and appeal or complaint information.
• Certification is held where an unresolved request, appeal or concern may affect the outcome.