Preparing for an approval review
When you apply for centre approval, you’ll be asked to give three potential dates for an approval review on the application form – these dates must be within 20 working days of your application. Following this, an EQA will be allocated.
Once approved, you’ll receive an approval certificate to display at your centre and a welcome email containing lots of information to help you get started.
If you’re not approved first time, don’t worry – your EQA will work with you to discuss the next steps.
If you’re applying for approval for any of our products, except T Levels:
- Read the qualification specifications for the products you’re applying for approval for
- Familiarise yourself with our Approval Criteria
- View our User Guide to our Centre Approval Report to understand the criteria covered as part of the review and the evidence you need to support your application
- Collate evidence to support your approval review, ensuring you have evidence to meet each criteria in the report
- Send your evidence at least 48 hours ahead of the review to avoid potential delays to your approval application. Failure to do this will result in your approval review being cancelled. Should the review be cancelled, a new date will be arranged in line with EQA availability.
If during the review the EQA identifies missing evidence, this will be requested during the review, failure to supply this during the review will result in an action on the report
If you’re applying for approval for any of our T Levels:
- Read the qualification specifications for the qualifications you’re applying for approval for
- Familiarise yourself with our T Level approval criteria
- View our User Guide to NCFE T Level Provider Approval to understand the criteria covered as part of the review and the evidence you can collate to support your application
- Complete the Delivery Staff Qualifications and Experience Template
- Collate evidence to support your approval review, ensuring you have evidence to meet each criteria in the report
- Send your evidence at least 48 hours ahead of the review to avoid potential delays to your approval application. Failure to do this will result in your approval review being cancelled. Should the review be cancelled, a new date will be arranged in line with EQA availability. If during the review the EQA identifies missing evidence, this will be requested during the review, failure to supply this during the review will result in an action on the report
- For dental applications, you must familiarise yourself with the document 'Qualification approval and EQA reviews' and the 'Appendices, policies and statements' as well as the qualification specifications on each of the dental qualification pages and the T Level User Guide To Mandatory Requirements For Dental Nursing Approval, AMR And EQA Review.
If you’re applying for approval for any of the qualifications below:
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice of Dental Nursing (601/2251/1)
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice of Dental Nursing (Integrated Apprenticeship) (610/1340/7)
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice of Dental Nursing (610/3114/8)
- Read the qualification specification on the qualification page
- Read the mandatory requirements for centre approval and external quality assurance reviews on the qualification page
- Familiarise yourself with our Approval Criteria
- View our User Guide to our Centre Approval Report to understand the criteria covered as part of the review and the evidence you need to support your application
- Collate evidence to support your approval review, ensuring you have evidence to meet each criteria in the report and mandatory requirements
- Send your evidence at least 48 hours ahead of the review to avoid potential delays to your approval application. Failure to do this will result in your approval review being cancelled. Should the review be cancelled, a new date will be arranged in line with EQA availability.
If during the review the EQA identifies missing evidence, this will be requested during the review, failure to supply this during the review will result in an action on the report.
If a registered profession qualification is covered as part of your review, read the Preparing for an external quality assurance review page. In addition:
- Read the Qualification Specification and Mandatory Requirements for Centre Approval
- View the Approval and External Quality Assurance Reviews document on the qualification page for the required qualification
- Plan your reviews efficiently with your EQA, you may have up to up to 4 free of charge reviews per academic year in your first year, followed by up to 2 free of charge reviews in any subsequent sessions.