Diplomas will enable all learners to be assessed by means of internal and external assessment, differentiating only on the basis of candidates’ abilities to meet the assessment requirement. Diplomas will use plain language that is free from bias and there will be no covert or overt discrimination in wording or content. There must be fair and equal access to the Diploma for a diverse range of learners, so that all can benefit from the high-quality applied learning in employability skills, knowledge and understanding that it provides.
Component awarding bodies must design assessment requirements so that there are no barriers to achievement for disabled learners, unless the barrier is explicitly justified as a competency standard in line with the Criteria for accreditation of Foundation, Higher and Advanced Diploma qualifications (Ofqual/08/3990). There must also be no barriers to achievement in the assessment requirements in terms of gender, race, age, sexual orientation and religion/belief.
The development of principal learning qualifications and all associated tasks of assessment, awarding and appeal must take into consideration the needs of all potential learners to ensure that there are no barriers in terms of disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation and religion/belief. Awarding organisations should take steps to remove any barriers, particularly for learners with disabilities, and where required make reasonable adjustments. This includes the design of information and communication hardware and software, and the formatting of communication in hard copy or online.
Reasonable adjustments for learners with disabilities must be offered where these are still needed.
Reasonable adjustments should reflect the candidate’s usual methods of working and not invalidate the competency standard of the assessment requirements.
Component awarding bodies may allow assessment in British Sign Language. Where more than one language is used, the awarding organisation must put adequate mechanisms in place to guarantee the consistency of assessment across the different languages.
To support the requirements above, Component awarding bodies must have procedures in place to ensure relevant staff and associates are trained in ensuring equality in the design, development and subject matter of qualifications, assessment and awarding procedures, language used in assessment and systems used to ensure consistency of standards across options, centres and time. They must also ensure that the centres they register do the same and use buildings that provide access for all candidates in accordance with equalities legislation.
The Diploma qualification must include the identification of opportunities, if appropriate to the subject or sector, for developing understanding of spiritual, moral, ethical, social, legislative, economic and cultural issues.
Notes
The six areas of diversity in law are disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation and religion/belief. In addition Ofqual’s regulation promotes equality and aims to eliminate discrimination in terms of disability, gender and race, in accordance with public sector equality duties.
