10 Easy Steps to a Smooth Approval Visit

Our simple step-by-step guide to a smooth approval visit. Our Approval Advisors will need to visit you to check you meet our criteria, so we’ve produced this guide to help you to prepare for the visit.

Additional Product Supplement

You can use this form to apply for additional products where there is not enough space in the original forms. You can use this as many times as you need to.

Appeals and Enquiries about Results Policy

This policy is aimed at our customers, including candidates, using our products and services and who submit appeals and enquiries about results.

Application to Become an NCFE Approved Centre

Application to Become an NCFE Approved Centre. Complete this form and return to NCFE.

Application to Offer Additional Products Form

Apply to Offer Additional Products - Download the form, fill in and return to us at NCFE.

Approval Criteria

To gain approval to offer an NCFE qualification or award you must meet the criteria detailed in this document.

Approval Visit Checklist

We know that making the most effective use of your time is crucial, so we’ve put together the following checklist. This will help you prepare for your Approval Visit – thus making the most use of your precious time!

Approval Visit Report

Assessment and Moderation Handbook for Schools

The purpose of this guide is to describe the moderation process so that you can be aware of what systems/processes you should have in place.

Assessment Method Planning Sheet

This is completed by the Assessor to ensure that a broad range of assessment methods are to be used throughout the delivery of the qualification. This will help to provide the necessary evidence but will also make the qualification more engaging and enjoyable for your candidates.

Assessment Tracking Sheet

This document is used to keep a track of what evidence each of your candidates has collected. Use each Evidence Produced section to record which of the qualification's units, learning outcomes and assessment criteria have been met through that particular piece of evidence.

Assessment Tracking Sheet (Continuation)

This document is used to keep a track of what evidence each of your candidates has collected. Use each Evidence Produced section to record which of the qualification's units, learning outcomes and assessment criteria have been met through that particular piece of evidence.

Assessor Feedback to Candidate

It's essential that your candidates are regularly given feedback from their Assessor. Verbal feedback is great but you also need to provide evidence of written feedback.

Candidate Action Plan and Unit Feedback

Before any candidate begins a qualification they should sit down with their Assessor(s) and look at the content of the qualification and agree timescales for completion. This document is broken down so that you can identify which units the candidate will complete and how they will be assessed.

Candidate Statement

This should be completed by each of your candidates before they begin the qualification and is used to declare that their work is their own.

Centre Guide on External Moderation

Our External Moderators are here to help you, so we’ve prepared this guide to help you get the most out of the excellent support we have to offer.

Centre Support Guide

We’ve produced this publication to ensure you have all the support and guidance you need to deliver our qualifications and awards to your learners.

Concept to Certification

Delivering Child Development Qualifications

We've worked closely with the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to bring you 3 qualifications for the Child Development and Wellbeing Sector.

Directory of Products and Services 2011-12

Contains full details of over 500 NCFE qualifications and awards.

Diversity and Equality Policy

This policy covers the principles of diversity and equality for anybody using our products and services including our customers and candidates.

Electronic Candidate Registration Form

Enquiry about a Result Form

You should complete this form if you want us to review the internal or external assessment results for those candidates who didn’t achieve the assessment.

Essential Guide to Accreditation Services

Accreditation Services allow you to gain formal recognition from a national awarding organisation for your own personalised programmes which you have written and created.

Essential Guide to Foundation Learning

Foundation Learning (FL) aims to improve the skills of learners working below Level 2, aged 14 and over, through developing high-quality credit-based qualifications at Entry Level and Level 1 in the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

Essential Guide to Functional Skills

The Functional Skills qualifications are designed to provide learners with practical skills in English, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Mathematics which will help them to ‘function’ confidently, effectively and independently in their work and life in general.

FAQ - Key Policies

We’ve put together popular questions about 3 of our key policies: Appeals and Enquiries about Results Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Malpractice.

Fees and Pricing 2011-12

A guide to NCFE's fees and prices for the 2011-12 session.

Induction and Enrichment Qualifications

Internal Moderation Strategy and Sampling Guidance

This is guidance to assist you in developing your own internal moderation strategy and sampling plan.

Internal Moderation/Verification Record

This is used for the Internal Moderator/Verifier (IM/V) to give feedback to the Assessor.

Internal Moderator/Verifier Sampling Plan and Tracking Sheet

This document can be used to ensure that your IM/V is sampling across all units and is sampling a range of candidates.

Internal Moderator/Verifier Sampling Plan and Tracking Sheet (Continuation)

This document can be used to ensure that your IM/V is sampling across all units and is sampling a range of candidates.

Introduction to NCFE

We'll help you to see a whole new world of education through the NCFE looking glass.

Malpractice Policy

This policy is aimed at our customers, including candidates, using our products and services and who are involved in suspected or actual malpractice or work with us to deal with such cases.

Malpractice Report Form

Report of suspected or actual cases of malpractice on the part of an NCFE centre of candidate.

Marking Windows - Level 3 Application of Number (Key Skills)

Marking Windows - Level 3 Communication (Key Skills)

Marking Windows - Level 3 ICT (Key Skills)

Marking Windows - Level 4 Application of Number (Key Skills)

Marking Windows - Level 4 Communication (Key Skills)

Marking Windows - Level 4 ICT (Key Skills)

Marking Windows for 2011-12

Marking Windows for 2011-12 (Functional Skills)

Methods of Assessment for NCFE Qualifications

This document provides an overview of the different methods of assessment and evidence types to show candidate achievement that could be used for NCFE qualifications.

NCFE Essential Guide to NVQs

This manual takes you through the key things that you need to know about administering, assessing and verifying our NVQs, from gaining centre approval to claiming certificates.

Occupational Competence Guidelines

Here is the latest copy of our Occupational Competence Guidelines, a guide which gives you an overview of the way our qualifications and awards can be delivered and assessed.

Pathways to Employability brochure

NCFE’s Pathways to Employability brochure provides a complete and tailored package of qualifications which suits individual needs, meets Government agenda and has the potential for funding.

Planned Programme Outline

This is sometimes referred to as a Scheme of Work. This NCFE document gives you some guidance on what you should consider when developing it.

Portal Handbook

The NCFE Portal is a secure area of the NCFE website, which allows centres to register candidates, enter candidates for external assessment and view candidate information 24 hours a day.

Programme Notification Form

There are key differences between the NQF and QCF versions of our qualifications. It is therefore an important requirement for you to confirm that you have acknowledged the changes and continue to fulfil the required criteria.

QCF - Glossary of Terms

This glossary has been compiled using the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s ‘Qualifications and Credit Framework Glossary'.

Reasonable Adjustments Form

For reasonable adjustments that we don’t delegate to you, you’ll need to complete this form.

Reasonable Adjustments Policy

This policy is aimed at our customers, including candidates, using our products and services and who submit requests for reasonable adjustments and special considerations.

Record of Candidate Observation

Candidate observation can be a very useful assessment method, particularly with NVQs or other vocationally based qualifications.

Record of Professional Discussion

Professional Discussion can be a very useful assessment method, particularly with NVQs or other vocationally based qualifications. This is where the Assessor will talk to a candidate about how they carry out an activity and will identify any learning outcomes and assessment criteria which are covered by the actions of the candidate. It’s important to explain exactly how each of these has been met. The discussion could be about a work process they carry out or about some regulations which influence the way they work. The Assessor Feedback to Candidate document can be used in conjunction with this, to ensure that both Assessor and candidate are able to comment on the activity and identify any outstanding actions. For example, a learning outcome or some assessment criteria may not have been met, so this could be addressed by using an alternative assessment method such as a candidate observation.

Regulations for the Conduct of Controlled Assessment (Functional Skills)

This document is designed to assist centres in the correct administration of the controlled assessment component(s) of NCFE Functional Skills qualifications.

Regulations for the Conduct of External Assessment

This document is designed to assist centres in the correct administration of the external assessment component of NCFE qualifications.

Replacement Certificate Application Form

This form is for students who'd like to request a replacement NCFE certificate for a qualification previously awarded.

Review of Proposed Candidate Project

Projects or assignments are often a good way of assessing your candidates and providing evidence that they have met the learning outcomes/assessment criteria of the qualification.

Sample Signatures

Throughout the delivery of the qualification you'll need to record a number of signatures - on planning & tracking documents, pieces of candidate evidence and feedback sheets etc. This document is used to record specimens of all of these signatures so that your External Moderator/Verifier can confirm their authenticity.

Scheme of Work

The scheme of work or planned programme outline will show how you’ve planned to deliver the qualification and will give you a benchmark to track progress. You may have a standard template for the scheme of work within your centre or you could adapt the example to suit your purpose.

The Dream Assessor

The role and support from the Assessor is of paramount importance to the overall success, achievement and positive outcomes for the qualification.

The Dream Internal Moderator

The role and support from the Internal Moderator is of paramount importance to the overall success, achievement and positive outcomes for the qualification.

User Guide to the Approval Advisor Visit Report

This guide offers an explanation for each of the main sections in the approval report which is completed by your Approval Advisor during or shortly after your approval visit.

User Guide to Visit Reports

We’ve put this guide together to offer an explanation of each of the main sections of the visit report. We want to help you as much as possible and we want you to use any recommended ‘Action Points’ or ‘Suggestions’ in your reports to help you achieve Direct Claim Status (DCS).

User Guide to Visit Reports (Addendum)

Witness Testimony

Witness testimony is a great way of gathering evidence for candidates who are actually doing the job for which they are being assessed.