Access to HE FAQs
You can browse our Frequently Asked Questions below. If you cannot find what you are looking for then please Contact us.
The Access to HE diploma is a Level 3 course designed to progress learners onto higher education. The course was initially developed for adult learners 19 plus looking to retrain or change careers. It is a life changing course that is held close to the hearts of many in the world of education.
The Access to HE diploma is regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)
The Access to HE diploma is a Level 3 diploma. This is the equivalent of three A –Levels.
The Access to HE diploma is comprised of 60 credits. 45 are graded and 15 are ungraded
Yes - Most universities across the UK recognise the Access to HE diploma but we advise all learners looking to progress to higher education to check out the admissions requirements of their chosen university before applying for the course. Some universities require specific grade profile for admittance so please check with the university before applying for the Access to HE course.
It’s a simple process to become a provider with us. Just complete your details here Become a provider | Open Awards and we will contact you and arrange the rest!
If you are already an Open Awards provider (delivering other qualification with us), it doesn’t cost you anything!
If you are a brand-new provider to Open Awards, there are small fees involved. Full details can be found on the pricing page
Yes. We have had providers in the past who want to work with to deliver a specific diploma whilst remaining with another AVA. We are continually developing and expanding our provision so appreciate that providers may wish to choose us as an awarding body for these new and exciting Access to HE diplomas. If you would like to chat to us, please fill out your details here Become a provider | Open Awards and our Access to HE Manager will be in touch for a chat.
Yes. We understand that as a Provider, you need to find an AVA who is the best ‘fit’ for your organisation. Whether a change of circumstances or wanting to explore the possibilities of what Open Awards can offer you, we’d love to hear from you. Open Awards has experience in supporting Providers transfer their Access to HE provision, and we will assist every step of the way to make the transition as seamless as possible. To discuss your options, fill in your details here Become a provider | Open Awards and our Access to HE Manager will be happy to discuss your needs.
We provide training for Access related matters at various points throughout the year. These are typically online training sessions and details of the training currently available can be found on the open awards website. Sessions are also recorded and made available for viewing so that provider can access the training at convenient times.
Yes. All Access providers are assigned a quality and standards advisor (QASA) with specialist knowledge and expertise in the delivery and management of Access programmes. The QASA will work with the provider to support and advise on any and all Access to HE matters.
Open awards abides by QAA regulations through the implementation of the CASS strategy. This guides our quality assurance processes which can be found in the Access to HE handbook. Providers are quality assured through a combination of external moderation and compliance visits which happen throughout the year.
Open awards uses specialist subject moderators to ensure the assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA) processes of A2HE providers are accurate and robust. Diploma assessment plans and assignment briefs are reviewed in the early part of the academic year and this is followed up with sampling of learner work, in selected units at specific points during the programme. Providers will be expected to upload assessment and IQA documentation to a dedicated SharePoint folder when grades have been determined. Details of the moderation process can be found in the Access to HE Handbook.
Providers are expected to record learner achievement through their own systems, however, open awards can provide support and advice on the best way to do this. When grades for units have been awarded the provider should upload the grades to the A2HE markbook using the secure portal. It is important to update the markbook regularly so that open awards can track the progress of learners throughout the year and so that learners can be selected for moderation of assessed work during the year.
Performance of providers is monitored on a regular basis through the quality processes which can be found in the Access to HE handbook. These processes include moderation of assessment plans, learner work and IQA documents, two compliance visits per year and review of actions on the provider improvement action plan. Each year, providers are also given data analysis reports to help with self evaluation and action planning.