Dear colleagues
QAA has just released updates for Access to HE providers, HEIs and students regarding the arrangements for grading students planning to complete their Access to HE Diploma by 31 July 2020. You can read the updates via the following links:
Access to HE students
Access to HE providers
Access to HE receiving institutions
You can also find more information in QAA’s FAQs. The Open Awards FAQs are currently being updated in light of these announcements.
In short, students will be awarded a graded Diploma based on:
- Actual grades from assessments with submission dates up to and including 20 March 2020
and
- Calculated grades for all remaining assessments that have submission dates after 20 March 2020.
The calculated grade will take into account tutors’ assessment of the likely grade, as well as other factors such as prior attainment on course. Specific details on what could be included as evidence to support calculated grades are still to be finalised. QAA will be producing guidance on how to calculate grades and we will share this with you as soon as it is made available.
In the meantime, it is clear that QAA expects teaching and learning to continue in some form wherever possible although there does not appear to be any expectation that further assessments will be required for all units not yet completed. The practicalities of calculating grades for units not yet taught are being discussed at the highest level and we will feed any suggestions and queries you may have into the debate if you are willing to share your thoughts.
We recognise the hard work undertaken by Access to HE course tutors to adapt to new ways of delivering teaching, and developing materials to help all students to complete their programme of learning and are keen to offer whatever support we can to help.
Please be mindful that all actual grades must go through Open Awards moderation so I urge any provider/ tutor who has not yet made student work available to your Open Awards pathway moderator to do so immediately.
It is our understanding that Pathway Moderators will also need to moderate the grade calculation decisions in due course to ensure standardisation. More detail on this process will be shared with you as soon as we have been advised on the arrangements by QAA.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to send these by email to quality@openawards.org.uk. We will forward messages to your LQR immediately but this will provide us with a central log of queries and comments to help us identify additions to our FAQs.