International Accreditation Handbook 2011-12 - BAC

British Accreditation Council
for independent further and higher education
BAC
British Accreditation Council
for independent further and higher education
INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION
• yINTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION
HANDBOOK
• y2011-2012
2011-2012

British Accreditation Council
for independent further and higher education
International Accreditation Handbook
2011-2012
© British Accreditation Council
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76 Shoe Lane
London EC4A 3JB
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7832 3520
Fax: +44 (0)20 7832 3521
Email:
info@the-bac.org
Website:
www.the-bac.org
The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education
is registered as a charity (Charities Registration No. 326652)
and is a private company limited by guarantee (Registered in England No. 1828990)
This work is copyright © 2011 by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and
Higher Education. Permission granted to reproduce the entirety of this work or extracts from it for
personal and educational use only. Extracts from this work must be acknowledged.
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Design by Erin Sanna
BAC

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BAC Overview
After
• z Background to BAC and the
independent sector
• z What is international accreditation
• z Purposes of accreditation
• z General requirements and standards
• z Eligibility for international
accreditation
• z Benefits of accreditation
• z How accreditation is awarded
The accreditation processss
• z Overview
• z Scope of accreditation
• z Steps involved
• z How long does it take
z
• z How much does it cost
• z Applications
New institution applications
Reaccreditation applications
Re-application after refusal
• z Inspections
Overview
Organising an inspection
The inspection team
Preparing for an inspection
Paying for an inspection
Cancelling an inspection
Full accreditation and
reaccreditation inspections
Preliminary visit
• z Inspection outcomes
Accreditation Committee decision
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Accreditation
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Refusal or withdrawal
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Deferral
Requirements and recommendations
• Process organogram
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CONTENTS
accreditation
• z Public profile
Statement of accreditation
Accreditation mark
Specialist accreditation schemes
Inspection reports
Website directory
Information published by BAC
• z Regulatory framework and
information sharing
Regulations for accredited
institutions
Continuing responsibilities
Notification of changes
Annual return
Accreditation fee
Interim inspection
Spot checks
Reaccreditation
• z Withdrawal and suspension
of accreditation
Procedure
Additional grounds for immediate
suspension or withdrawal
Additional procedures for
suspension and withdrawal
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Voluntary withdrawal
from accreditation
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Accreditation criteria
4 4
and standards
• z Programmes and awards
BAC’s approach
UK degrees
Overseas degrees
Internal awards
• z Accreditation standards
and inspection criteria
Legal and regulatory compliance
Minimum standards and
areas assessed
Grades
Document review and interviews
Premises and health and safety
Minimum standards required
Items assessed
Interviews
Guidance notes
• z Management, staffing
and administration
Minimum standards required
Items assessed
Document review and interviews
Guidance notes
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• z Student welfare
Minimum standards required
Items assessed
Document review and interviews
Guidance notes
• z Teaching, learning and assesment
Minimum standards required
Items assessed
Interviews
Guidance notes
• z Management of quality
Minimum standards required
Items assessed
Document review and interviews
Guidance notes
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5 Accreditation documentation
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6 Appeals
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7 Complaints
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8 Help
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BAC OVERVIEW
1.1 BACKGROUND TO BAC AND THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR
The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC) was established in 1984
to be the national accrediting authority for independent further and higher education in the UK. The nonpublicly
funded institutions accredited cover a diverse range of provision, from sixth-form colleges to specialist
schools of art and design, recognised higher degree providers and world-renowned centres for qualifications in
the professions.
1.2 WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION
BAC international accreditation is a voluntary quality assurance scheme for independent providers of further
and higher education operating outside the United Kingdom (UK). The eligibility criteria for institutions
operating outside the UK can be found in section 1.5.1 of this handbook.
1.3 PURPOSES OF ACCREDITATION
In awarding international accreditation BAC has four main purposes:
• z to support and advise independent institutions of further or higher education in the maintenance and
enhancement of their quality of provision
• z to provide independent guidance to students seeking to undertake further or higher education
• z to provide assurance of the good standing of an institution to government departments and other
interested bodies
• z to enable an institution to state publicly that it has voluntarily accepted independent inspection and
has satisfied BAC that all relevant aspects of its operation are maintained at a satisfactory level.
1.4 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
The award of international accreditation is subject to an institution meeting standards established and
periodically reviewed by BAC.
The accreditation process involves a rigorous on-site inspection focusing on five areas: premises and health and
safety; management, staffing and administration; student welfare; teaching, learning and assessment; and the
management of quality.
Not only must an accredited institution meet and continue to meet the specific minimum standards listed
for each of these areas but the inspection must also find that the overall standard of provision in each area
is satisfactory before accreditation will be awarded. Section 4 of this handbook sets out both the minimum
standards required for international accreditation and the areas assessed in determining the overall standard
of provision.
Once accredited, institutions must submit to a regular monitoring process involving annual data returns, financial
analysis, and interim, supplementary and spot check inspections. They must also pay all applicable fees and
maintain a transparent and constructive relationship with BAC by notifying it of any changes, responding to any
requests for information and cooperating with BAC’s procedures for investigating complaints or any evidence
of misfeasance.
An essential requirement of BAC accreditation is that all institutions continue to meet their statutory obligations
to comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
5

1.5 ELIGIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION
1.5.1 Eligibility criteria for institutions operating outside the UK
Any independent educational institution operating outside the UK is eligible to apply for international
accreditation provided that one or more of the following requirements are met:
• z The institution is working in a formal collaborative partnership with a United Kingdom Higher
Education institution (HEI) with degree awarding powers. The HEI must be a Recognised Body as
defined by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and on the list found at
www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/recognised-uk-degrees/recognised-bodies.
• z The institution is working in a formal collaborative partnership with a Royal Chartered Body
recognised as such within the United Kingdom.
• z The institution offers programmes of further or higher education recognised by Ofqual at level 5 or
above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) or the Qualifications and Credit Framework
(QCF) in England or their devolved equivalents in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• z The institution is in common ownership with a BAC-accredited institution operating in the United
Kingdom.
The final decision on the eligibility of an institution seeking international accreditation rests with BAC. If you
consider that your institution does not yet meet BAC’s eligibility procedures but would still like to pursue
international accreditation, please contact BAC to discuss consultancy options.
1.5.2 General requirements for institutions operating outside the UK
BAC Overview
• z The institution is able to provide evidence of its financial stability.
• z Effective control of the institution is the responsibility of an accountable management.
• z The institution is led by a proprietor or designated principal/director, who must have clear contractual
responsibilities for the running of the institution and for the quality of its work.
• z There are no grounds for believing the proprietor, principal/director or any other senior manager to
be unfit to have responsibility for the institution (e.g. an assessment of any previous position held at
another institution known to BAC, in particular any institution which consistently failed to meet BAC’s
standards or which failed to repay debts owed to BAC.)
• z The institution has provided a relevant education programme for a minimum period of two years.
Exceptionally, BAC may approve accreditation at an earlier date, although this would normally only be
available to institutions which were part of a larger organisation which itself met the requirement.
• z Accreditation relates only to a specific institution and may not be used in relation to larger
organisations unless all branches have been awarded accreditation. BAC reserves the right to decide
whether it is more appropriate for organisations to seek accreditation in toto or in respect of their
separate parts.
• z Accreditation by BAC does not remove the obligations of accredited institutions to comply with
relevant local statutory and regulatory requirements.
• z Any contractual agreements between BAC and an accredited institution, or any disputes arising out of
the award, refusal or withdrawal of accreditation by BAC, shall be subject to English law.
• z BAC’s evaluation of the institution will not assess the role of the awarding body itself and will
not include, for instance, an assessment of the curriculum, the assessment procedures used in
determining the final grades awarded or the quality management procedures used by the awarding
body.
• z In the course of the inspection, programmes which are ancillary to the main education programmes
(such as language support or the development of study and research skills) will also be evaluated.
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1.5.3 Branch institutions and groups
Unless BAC determines otherwise, where an accredited institution is a branch of a larger organisation,
accreditation will relate only to the branch institution. Groups of institutions which wish to apply for
accreditation for all their centres must first contact the BAC office to discuss their application.
1.5.4 Types of institution and type-specific accreditation
Institutions operating outside the uk
BAC’s standard international accreditation scheme covers the full range of activities provided by a college
or similar institution, and is not restricted to specific courses within the total operation. An institution is
awarded accreditation for a period of up to four years, subject to a satisfactory interim inspection and its
meeting all the responsibilities of an accredited institution (see section 3.2.1). This accreditation does not
extend to activities which take place outside the institution itself (for instance, franchised programmes,
satellite summer schools or separate branches, whether in the UK or overseas) or which are promoted and
delivered under a different name, unless BAC has given specific approval for the inclusion of such activities
within the institution’s accreditation.
Institutions will be assessed against the full, standard set of accreditation criteria described in sections 4.3-4.7
and must meet all of the minimum standards set out therein.
Independent higher education institutions operating outside the uk
BAC has developed specific, additional criteria for the award of accreditation as an independent higher
education institution. This accreditation scheme is available to institutions which wholly or predominantly
offer programmes at the level of higher education, in partnership with a recognised university or other HE
awarding body, and which offer students a range of resources appropriate to those studying at the level of
higher education.
1.6 BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
Benefits to institutions
• z Mark of quality
• z Raising standards
BAC Overview
Accreditation by an independent
and well-established national body
which is recognised in the UK and
internationally.
Inspections which provide invaluable advice
from inspectors with extensive knowledge of
the sector.
• z Staying informed
Continuing advice and updates on
relevant issues through regular email
information bulletins and on the BAC
website.
• z Professional development
Invitations to attend best practice seminars
and other professional development events.
Benefits to students
Choosing an accredited institution provides students and their families with assurance that the five areas of
provision meet the standards set out in this handbook. If these published standards are not met, students
will be able to seek redress through an agreed complaints procedure.
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1.7 HOW ACCREDITATION IS AWARDED
Accreditation is based on an inspection of the full range of an institution’s provision and also requires evidence
that the management will maintain acceptable standards during the period of accreditation and operate within
the requirements of relevant local education legislation.
Prospective institutions undergo a first level of scrutiny by BAC staff through the application review stage and
then receive a rigorous inspection, preceded by preliminary visit if deemed necessary by BAC, which assesses
their provision against the minimum standards set out in sections 4.3-4.7. A report of this inspection is then
considered by the Accreditation Committee, which can decide to award or refuse accreditation based on the
evidence of whether all minimum standards have been met.
Accredited institutions must apply for reaccreditation every four years and will then undergo a further full
inspection. In considering a report on an accredited institution, the Accreditation Committee may either award
reaccreditation for another four years, defer a decision pending the resolution of minor issues, or withdraw
accreditation from the institution should it have failed to maintain the standards required.
Whatever the outcome, the inspection report is released to the institution along with the decision of the
Accreditation Committee. This report may be published in full by the institution. Basic factual information
about the institution will be published on BAC’s website. Any institution which has been unsuccessful in either
gaining or retaining accreditation may appeal against the decision of the Accreditation Committee.
BAC Overview
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2.1 OVERVIEW
THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
- your guide to becoming accredited
Securing the independent accreditation that BAC offers has been a great milestone of which many an
educational institution is rightly proud, representing as it does the culmination of many months of selfevaluation,
preparation and self-improvement. Assessing your own provision against BAC’s standards,
applying for accreditation and undergoing the subsequent rigorous inspection is intended to be a challenge,
but one which is rewarding in its own right and not merely a means to an end.
Nevertheless, the accreditation process can seem quite daunting to new institutions which have not
previously applied to any formal quality assurance process by an external body. BAC therefore does all it
can to make the process as straightforward as possible, and aims to provide additional assistance where
required. Once you have read all the information published in this handbook and on the BAC website,
should you still have any questions you are invited to contact the BAC office by email or telephone.
BAC organises regular seminars introducing prospective applicants to the principles of accreditation and
exploring the process in more detail; details of forthcoming seminars are published on the BAC website.
Whilst BAC’s inspectors and staff always attempt to offer helpful advice, you should bear in mind that we
are primarily an inspection body and not a consultancy or advisory body. In applying for accreditation, you
must be prepared to accept constructive criticism of your provision as well as positive comment on good
practice which our inspectors may find.
Scope of accreditation
As BAC accredits institutions in their entirety, all your provision must be declared so that it can be considered
with your application and assessed in the course of subsequent inspections. While accreditation applies to your
institution as a whole, BAC can only assess the provision that is in place at the time of application. This fact
makes it essential that you notify us should any significant changes take place or be planned so that students
and other interested parties can be confident that your accreditation constitutes a comprehensive and current
evaluation of your institution. See section 3.2.2 for more details.
What steps are involved in the accreditation process
• z Research, self-evaluation and preparation by the institution
• z Institution submits application for accreditation
• z BAC reviews application form and additional documentation
• z BAC arranges a preliminary visit if required
• z BAC arranges inspection in consultation with institution
• z Inspection by reporting inspector and additional inspectors
• z Reporting inspector submits inspection report to BAC for editing
• z Inspection report considered by Accreditation Committee
• z BAC notifies institution of the Accreditation Committee’s decision
How long does it take
BAC accreditation is a rigorous process requiring several stages before successful completion and therefore it is
likely to be several months between the date of application and the award of accreditation. How long it takes,
though, is dependent largely on the quality of the initial application.
If the application form is completed in full and all additional documentation submitted at the time of application,
it may be possible to review your application within four weeks, schedule an accreditation inspection within
eight weeks and for accreditation to be awarded within four months.
If however your initial application is incomplete or reveals problems which need to be addressed before
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THE INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION PROCESS
Pre-accreditation
advice
International
Accreditation
Handbook
Online information
Institution submits
application
Yes
Receipt of application
and payment recorded
Application Review
- Check documentary evidence
- Check statutory compliance
- Take up references
All in order
Yes
Yes
No
Can institution
provide outstanding
documentation
A letter is sent
requesting outstanding
documentation
The Accreditation Process
No
Signed off by Chief Inspector
who decides on type of inspection and
inspection team required
Is a preliminary visit necessary
Yes
Accreditation Inspection
Established institutions receive
a full accreditation inspection
of their provision in all five
areas of assessment
Preliminary visit conducted
Accreditation Committee
BAC standards met
No
Release inspection report to
institution detailing requirements
that still need to be met
Yes
If minor requirements only
ACCREDITATION AWARDED FOR
THE FULL FOUR YEARS
An interim imspection will be
required within 12 months to
check on progress
Decision deferred, pending
- submission of documents
or
- supplementary inspection
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inspection, this will of course have the effect of delaying the process. If you do not succeed in completing
the first stage (application review) within six months, you will need to begin the process again with a new
application.
For institutions operating outside the UK, a preliminary visit, at the institution’s expense, may be required to
establish agreement on local government and statutory requirements and how prepared the institution is for
inspection.
How much does it cost
Full details of the fees associated with accreditation can be found on the fees sheet which is available from
the BAC office and can be downloaded from the BAC website. The main costs involved are outlined below.
Becoming accredited:
• z application fee (standard and non-refundable fee)
• z preliminary visit costs (if required)
• z inspection costs (variable depending on the length and breadth of inspection required)
Once accredited:
• z annual accreditation fee (variable depending on the size of your institution)
• z interim inspection costs
• z inspection costs for a reaccreditation inspection every four years
• z inspection costs for any additional inspections required by BAC (after either a significant change at
the institution or a failure to comply with BAC’s regulations for accredited institutions)
See the fees sheet for full details of current fees
2.2 APPLICATIONS
2.2.1 New institution applications
Educational institutions considering their first application for accreditation as an institution operating outside
the UK should first read this International Accreditation Handbook and ensure that you meet the requirements
for international accreditation, and that you understand the application process, the standard of provision
required and the responsibilities placed upon you by BAC accreditation.
The Accreditation Process
Having read, understood and accepted the terms set out in the International Accreditation Handbook, you
should begin your preparations for making an application. These should include an exercise in self-evaluation
of your institution against the accreditation criteria and standards (see section 4). The BAC office can provide
you with an international inspection report template should you wish to use this in your self-evaluation. You
will also need to gather a significant amount of documentation for making an application and preparing for an
inspection (see section 5).
As part of the self-evaluation, you should check whether your institution meets BAC’s eligibility criteria for
institutions operating outside of the United Kingdom (see section 1.5.1). If you remain unsure of your institution’s
eligibility for international accreditation, you should seek advice from the BAC office before submitting your
application.
The application for accreditation comprises:
• z New institution application form
• z Required additional documentation (see section 5)
• z Payment covering both the non-refundable application fee and a deposit (see fees sheet)
The new institution application form for institutions operating outside the UK with guidance notes can be
downloaded from the BAC website at www.the-bac.org/accreditation/applications/international
You will need to complete all sections of the application form carefully and submit three copies of the application
form and all additional documentation to the BAC office with full payment of the application fee and deposit.
Applications will not be processed until all required documentation has been received along with full payment.
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Please ensure that you follow closely the instructions on the application form, making use of the associated
guidance notes where needed, in order to complete the form and its appendices with all necessary information,
as well as gathering the required additional documentation.
Completed applications should be submitted to BAC at:
New Institution Applications (International)
British Accreditation Council
7th Floor
76 Shoe Lane
London EC4A 3JB
United Kingdom
Alternatively applications and documentation can be submitted by email for those institutions operating
outside the United Kingdom. Please send a completed application form and all documentation to:
applications@the-bac.org
Application Review
You will receive confirmation that your application has been received, but the review of your application will
take up to four weeks to allow for proper scrutiny.
The Accreditation Process
This formal evaluation process is undertaken by trained BAC staff and will begin with a review of the application
form and accompanying documentation, in order to establish whether your institution is eligible for international
accreditation. This will be followed by further investigation of appropriate public records, the taking up of
bank and personal references, credit checks where deemed appropriate and the scrutiny of websites and other
promotional material.
BAC staff will contact you to seek clarification or additional documentation if the required documentation is
incomplete, if there are discrepancies in the information, or if elements of the provision do not meet BAC’s
requirements. There will be no further progress until these matters have been satisfactorily resolved.
What happens next
Once all outstanding issues have been resolved, the complete application will be considered by the Chief
Inspector, or in his or her absence the Inspections Manager, who will confirm whether or not your institution
has passed the application review. If successful, a preliminary visit will be arranged, if necessary, to be
followed by a full international accreditation inspection.
Applications remain live for up to six months. Should the application not be considered complete before the
end of this period the institution will need to submit a new application.
2.2.2 Reaccreditation applications
Accredited institutions wishing to remain in accreditation must submit an application for reaccreditation and
undergo a full reaccreditation inspection every four years.
BAC expects its accredited institutions to develop and improve their own quality assurance processes over the
period of accreditation. In applying for reaccreditation, you will need to demonstrate that you have completed
a full self evaluation against BAC’s standards and can evidence this fully.
BAC will also hold information about the institution from its annual returns and other sources which will
contribute to the reaccreditation inspection.
BAC will contact accredited institutions approximately 12 months before their accreditation is due to expire,
setting out the application procedure for reaccreditation and the application deadline. The deadline will
normally be six months before the expiry date of the institution’s current accreditation.
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For an accredited institution to remain in accreditation, BAC must receive by this deadline an application for
reaccreditation, comprising:
• z Reaaccreditation application form for institutions operating outside the UK (incorporating self assessment
review and data collection form)
• z Required additional documentation (see section 5)
• z Payment of a deposit (see fees sheet)
The reaccreditation application form with guidance notes can be downloaded from the BAC website at
www.the-bac.org/accreditation/applications/international
The institution will need to complete all sections of the application form carefully and submit three copies
of the application form and all additional documentation to the BAC office with full payment of the deposit.
Insitutions operating outside the UK can submit their application form and documents by email.
Applications will not be processed until all required documentation has been received along with full payment. A
reaccreditation inspection will be organised only if BAC has received a completed application for reaccreditation
by the deadline given. Should the institution fail to undergo a reaccreditation inspection before its current
accreditation expiry date and without having been granted an extension by the Accreditation Committee,
accreditation will be withdrawn.
Completed applications should be submitted to BAC at:
Reaccreditation Applications (International)
British Accreditation Council
7th Floor
76 Shoe Lane
London EC4A 3JB
United Kingdom
Alternatively applications and documentation can be submitted by email for those institutions operating
outside the United Kingdom. Please send completed application form and all documentation to:
applications@the-bac.org.
2.2.3 Applications from institutions refused accreditation
While institutions which are refused accreditation or which have their accreditation withdrawn are free to reapply,
BAC reserves the right to set a minimum time period which must elapse before a re-application will be
accepted.
The Accreditation Process
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2.3 INSPECTIONS
OVERVIEW
The primary method for assessing whether an institution meets the standards required
for accreditation is an on-site inspection carried out by independent inspectors who
are appointed and trained by BAC. No institution will be awarded accreditation or
reaccreditation without full inspection of its provision as described within the five areas
of assessment (see sections 4.3 - 4.7).
In addition to the full accreditation and reaccreditation inspections which follow
applications by institutions, a number of other inspections are organised by BAC for
specific reasons, including:
• z Preliminary visit (if required) (see section 2.3.7)
The Accreditation Process
• z Supplementary inspections of institutions which have had a decision
on accreditation deferred (see section 2.4.1)
• z Supplementary inspections of accredited institutions which have
undergone significant changes (see section 3.2.2)
• z Interim inspections of accredited institutions during the period of
accreditation (see section 3.2.5)
• z Spot checks of accredited institutions for BAC’s monitoring purposes
(see section 3.2.6)
While BAC’s inspections are key to assessing whether or not the institution should be
accredited, they are also intended to provide advice and support within the institution’s
own framework of quality management. The inspectors used are all educational experts
with extensive knowledge of the sector who will be happy to share examples of good
practice and to suggest ways in which the institution can continue to improve its provision
beyond BAC’s minimum standards.
2.3.1 Organising an inspection
Once the Chief Inspector has authorised an inspection and determined the appropriate size and composition
of the inspection team, the institution will be asked to suggest suitable inspection dates. In the case of
accreditation or reaccreditation inspections, they will be scheduled for days on which the largest sample
of teaching can be observed. BAC is required to give its inspectors at least three weeks’ notice of an
inspection. The final decision on whether and on what dates an inspection will go ahead rests with BAC.
2.3.2 The inspection team
The inspection team is selected by the Chief Inspector, taking into account the experience, specialisms,
location and availability of inspectors.
BAC’s inspectors are required to sign a declaration identifying any conflicts of interest. They are required
to observe confidentiality as to both the process and the outcome of an inspection. The institution will be
informed of the names of the inspectors before the inspection.
The size of the inspection team will depend on the size and diversity of the institution’s curriculum,
but full inspections will normally require at least two inspectors over two days. A designated reporting
inspector (RI) will be responsible for determining the schedule of the inspection and for producing the
final report for consideration by the Accreditation Committee.
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2.3.3 Preparing for an inspection
Once an inspection has been organised, the institution will receive written confirmation of the dates, the names
of the inspection team and details of the inspection including a list of premises to be visited.
The institution should inform its staff that an inspection will be taking place and, if possible, arrange an initial
meeting with all staff so that inspectors can introduce themselves and describe what will be taking place.
It is the inspectors’ intention to avoid disruption of normal activities as far as possible during the inspection.
The institution is therefore required to supply a full timetable for classes taking place during the inspection and
to suggest times at which key personnel will be available to meet the inspectors. The RI will take these into
account when allocating the inspection team’s time. However, the RI is responsible for producing the inspection
timetable to ensure it accords with other commitments and meets the needs of the inspection team.
2.3.4 Paying for an inspection
All inspections are subject to an inspection fee payable to BAC by the institution, plus the amount required
to cover the inspectors’ expenses. Details of the normal fees for each type of inspection can be found on the
fees sheet which is published separately. Except in the case of inspections organised by BAC with less than four
weeks’ notice, the inspection fee will be payable before the inspection. In all cases, the inspection report and
any decision of the Accreditation Committee will not be released until the fees and costs have been paid in full.
2.3.5 Cancelling an inspection
BAC reserves the right to cancel the inspection or change the date or inspectors prior to the commencement of
the inspection. Please note that BAC would only make such changes once all other options had been exhausted
and where it would be impossible or detrimental to go ahead with the inspection as planned.
If an inspection is cancelled by the institution within four weeks of the start of the inspection, a cancellation fee
is payable (see fees sheet). The same cancellation fee is payable by the institution if an inspection is cancelled
by BAC for the reason that the institution has either failed to agree an inspection timetable with the inspection
team or failed to submit any documentation which was requested in advance. In this case, institutions will also
be required to cover any inspectors’ costs incurred.
If the institution cancels or changes the date of an inspection with more than four weeks’ notice, there is no
cancellation fee, but the institution is liable for any costs already incurred by the inspectors.
2.3.6 Full accreditation and reaccreditation inspections
The Accreditation Process
The inspectors will use a full inspection to assess whether and to what extent your institution meets BAC’s
accreditation standards in each of the five areas of provision (see sections 4.3 - 4.7).
However, the purpose of the inspection is not only to assess what can be observed during the days of the
inspection, but also to consider evidence that satisfactory standards are likely to be maintained in the longer
term. Some of this assessment will be based on documentation supplied before the inspection, enabling the
inspection team to identify areas central to quality management which will be explored in later interviews with
key staff. These are likely to include:
• z the quality and stability of the academic and managerial staff
• z the procedures established by the institution to monitor student progress and attendance and to
respond to apparent underperformance
• z the institution’s response to comments made by external examiners or moderators
• z the institution’s procedures for development and appraisal
• z any other procedures established by the institution to monitor and enhance its performance.
While the exact nature of an inspection is likely to vary according to the size and complexity of the academic
programme, there are elements which are common to all inspections:
• z introductory meeting with staff (at least senior management)
• z an initial tour of the premises
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• z individual meetings with key academic and managerial staff
• z a study of a representative sample of marked student work
• z scrutiny of the additional documentation listed in section 5, including staff and student records
• z a detailed survey of the library and other academic resources
• z a meeting with a representative group of students
• z observation of a representative sample of classes
• z a final meeting with the principal/director and senior management to give an informal report on the
findings of the inspection. This will not indicate whether the outcome will lead to the accreditation of
the institution, since the final decision on this lies entirely with BAC’s Accreditation Committee.
2.3.7 Preliminary visit
Once an application from an institution operating outside the UK has been received and processed, the Chief
Inspector will asses whether a preliminary visit is necessary. A preliminary visit will particularly be important
when BAC has not previously accredited institutions in the country in which the institution is operating, as
meetings with local regulatory bodies will be required. Please note that BAC will make the final decision on
whether a preliminary visit is required. Once the preliminary visit is satisfactorily concluded, a full inspection
will be arranged. This may follow immediately after the preliminary visit or be arranged for a time to be agreed
following the preliminary visit.
The Accreditation Process
2.4 INSPECTION OUTCOMES
2.4.1 Decision of the Accreditation Committee
Following inspections, the inspection report will be considered by the Accreditation Committee (AC), which will
make one of the decisions set out below. The Chief Executive will inform the institution of the Committee’s
decision within 10 working days and will send a copy of the inspection report, along with an accreditation
certificate if accreditation or reaccreditation has been awarded.
The AC may at its discretion delegate to a sub-committee the consideration of reports of interim inspections,
spot checks and some supplementary inspections which do not require a decision on whether or not to
award accreditation. In exceptional circumstances the AC may also delegate to its Chair or Deputy Chair the
consideration of any inspection report, but any decision made by the Chair or Deputy Chair must then be ratified
by the committee at its next meeting.
Award of accreditation
• z Accreditation can be awarded following the full accreditation inspection of an unaccredited
institution.
• z Reaccreditation can be awarded following the full reaccreditation inspection of an accredited
institution.
• z Accreditation or reaccreditation is awarded if the AC is satisfied that the institution meets or exceeds
BAC’s minimum standards in all five assessed areas of its provision.
• z Accreditation or reaccreditation is normally awarded for a period of four years.
Refusal or withdrawal of accreditation
• z The AC may refuse or withdraw accreditation if the inspection report indicates that the institution has
failed to meet the minimum standards required for accreditation.
• z If accreditation is refused or withdrawn, the reasons will be clearly explained in the inspection report.
• z The institution has the right to appeal against the decision (see section 6).
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Deferral of decision on accreditation
• z The AC may defer a decision on accreditation or reaccreditation if the inspection report indicates that
the institution has not met all the minimum standards required but that the outstanding issues are
minor and could be resolved easily within a short period of time.
• z A decision can be deferred for up to six months, during which time the institution must address all the
concerns identified in the inspection report.
• z The AC will require that, before the end of the deferral period, the institution either undergoes a
supplementary inspection at its own expense or submits documentary evidence that the outstanding
requirements have been met.
• z The supplementary inspection report or documentary submission will be considered by the AC before
the end of the deferral period, and a decision on accreditation or reaccreditation will then be made.
• z If the supplementary inspection report indicates significant concerns other than those which led to the
deferral, the AC may require an additional full inspection at the institution’s expense before making a
decision on accreditation or reaccreditation. If necessary, the deferral period may be extended to allow
for this to take place.
• z If the institution fails either to submit satisfactory documentary evidence or to undergo a supplementary
inspection before the end of the deferral period, the AC may then refuse or withdraw accreditation. A
new application will then be required should the institution wish to pursue accreditation further.
2.4.2 Requirements and recommendations
• z The concluding section of an inspection report normally contains a number of recommendations and
requirements, grouped according to their urgency.
• z If there are requirements that must be met before accreditation, then the Accreditation Committee can
either defer a decision on accreditation or refuse to award accreditation or reaccreditation.
• z If there are requirements that must be met before the first inspection after accreditation, then you will
be expected to meet these before the interim inspection is carried out. If the interim inspection report
shows unsatisfactory progress towards meeting these requirements, the AC may require further action
(see section 3.2.5)
• z Recommendations to your institution do not constitute requirements for BAC accreditation but allow
the inspectors to indicate areas in which provision could be enhanced even further and ways in which
best practice could be achieved.
The Accreditation Process
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AFTER ACCREDITATION
- your guide to being an accredited institution
3.1 PUBLIC PROFILE
3.1.1 Statement of accreditation
Institutions which have been awarded accreditation may use the statement of accreditation in their
promotional materials, subject to certain conditions.
Acceptable forms of the statement are:
• z “accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education”
• z “accredited by the British Accreditation Council”
• z “accredited by BAC”
• z “BAC accredited”
The further following conditions apply:
• z Accreditation covers all eligible provision which you have declared to BAC.
• z Accreditation applies to your institution as a whole and must not be construed as accreditation or
validation of individual programmes or awards.
• z Accreditation applies only to the specific institution whose application BAC received and not to any
partner, branch or otherwise connected institution.
• z You must avoid any inaccurate or misleading statements concerning your accreditation and if
uncertain should contact BAC to seek clarification on what is acceptable. Any breach of this condition
may lead to the suspension or withdrawal of your accreditation.
• z If your accreditation is withdrawn you must remove all statements or claims of accreditation by BAC
from your promotional and other material as soon as is reasonably practicable and must immediately
refrain from representing yourself as BAC accredited.
• z Unaccredited institutions which have applied for accreditation must not make public reference to
their application. Any breach of this condition may be taken into account in any subsequent decision
on accreditation.
Accredited institutions will be authorised to include one of the following statement in promotional
material:
OR
• z “Accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education”
• z “Accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education as
an independent higher education institution”
3.1.2 Accreditation mark
Once accredited you may use the BAC accreditation mark in your promotional materials, subject to certain
conditions. The standard accreditation mark features the BAC logo and the word ‘accredited’, although
additional variants exist for institutions accredited under one of BAC’s specialist accreditation schemes (see
section 3.1.3).
ACCREDITED
BAC
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION
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The further following conditions apply:
• z You must use only an official graphic supplied by BAC which is available in several variations to meet
contextual design considerations.
• z The size, positioning and colouring must adhere to BAC’s design specification. Details of this specification
and further guidance on using the accreditation mark are available along with the graphic files from the
BAC office and from the College Gateway on the BAC website at www.the-bac.org/cgateway/
• z If you wish to use the accreditation mark on your website you should use the HTML code supplied by
BAC, allowing web users to click through to the institution directory on the BAC website.
• z You will be notified of any changes to the accreditation mark at least 30 days before they take effect.
You should then replace all instances of the accreditation mark in your promotional materials as soon
as is reasonably practicable.
• z The BAC logo and accreditation mark must not be used on award, attendance or completion certificates
unless you have been granted express, written permission to do so.
• z The BAC logo is a registered trademark and you must not duplicate, recreate or adapt the logo except
as part of the agreed usage of the accreditation mark described above.
3.1.3 Institutions accredited under specialist schemes
After Accreditation
ACCREDITED
BAC
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION
3.1.4 Inspection reports
Independent higher education institutions
In the case of an independent higher education institution
which has met the additional criteria, a variant of the
international accreditation statement and mark may be used
which incorporates the phrase ‘as an independent higher
education institution’.
While you may at your discretion publish your inspection report in its entirety, sections of the report must not
be selected and published alone. The BAC office can provide you with a short report summary for publicity
purposes, although you should use only the report summary of the most recent full inspection, and this must be
reproduced in its entirety. Once a further full inspection has been conducted, the previous report summary must
be withdrawn from use and replaced by the current one.
3.1.5 Website directory
An institution directory is published on the BAC website and represents the definitive, current list of BACaccredited
institutions. You should familiarise yourself with your directory entry, check it on a regular basis and
notify BAC if any obsolete or incorrect information is included (see section 3.2.2).
Newly accredited institutions are added to the directory once the decision letter, inspection report and
accreditation certificate have been dispatched. Institutions whose accreditation has been withdrawn will remain
in the directory until the time allowed for lodging an appeal has expired and any subsequent appeal process has
been exhausted (see section 6).
3.1.6 Information published by BAC
It is a condition of accreditation that certain basic information on accredited institutions is published in the
website directory, details of which can be confirmed with the BAC office. The information to be published will
be reviewed periodically and is subject to change, but will include your institution’s name, head of institution,
address, contact details and a list of subjects and programmes offered.
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3.1.7 Regulatory framework and information sharing
While BAC is a non-governmental organisation and registered charity, overseeing a voluntary accreditation
scheme, it plays a key role in the sector which requires close and open collaboration with local authorities,
central governments, associated agencies and other international, national and regional bodies concerned with
standards in further and higher education.
Several such bodies are represented on BAC’s governing Council of stakeholders, which receives detailed reports
on BAC activities at its biannual meetings and additional, occasional memoranda in the interim. The Council
does not ordinarily receive inspection reports or other institution-specific information.
There are, however, a number of bodies with which BAC has developed broader information-sharing protocols
and with which specific data can be shared about institutions in which the body has an explicit interest. By
submitting an application for accreditation all institutions acknowledge and agree to these information-sharing
protocols.
Bodies in the UK with which BAC may share such institution-specific data include: the Department for Education;
the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; local governmental bodies and agencies; Ofsted; the
Accreditation Unit of the British Council; the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and other UKBAapproved
educational oversight bodies; the Open University Validation Services and the external validation
department of any university of which the institution is a partner; any recognised awarding body whose
programmes the institution offers; Trading Standards; the police; and any other body which BAC deems to have
a legitimate, explicit interest in the institution in question.
BAC also routinely provides some or all of the above bodies with a list of institutions which are newly
accredited or where accreditation has been withdrawn.
3.2 REGULATIONS FOR ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS
3.2.1 Continuing responsibilities
Gaining accreditation is not the end of the process. As an international accredited institution you have continuing
responsibilities both to maintain the standards required for BAC accreditation and to cooperate fully with BAC
in its monitoring of these standards. Specific duties arising from these responsibilities are listed below, with
certain elements expanded upon later.
After Accreditation
As a condition of continuing accreditation, you must:
• z continue to comply with all relevant local laws and regulations
• z continue to maintain all of the minimum standards required for BAC accreditation (as set out in
section 4)
• z work to meet the requirements set out in previous inspection reports and consider the additional
recommendations
• z submit to BAC’s regular monitoring procedures, including:
annual returns (see section 3.2.3)
interim inspections (see section 3.2.5)
spot checks (see section 3.2.6)
• z notify BAC of any significant changes (see section 3.2.2)
• z respond promptly to any requests from BAC for information
• z address to BAC’s satisfaction any concerns raised by government or other bodies with which BAC
shares information
• z cooperate fully and promptly with BAC’s complaints procedure
• z pay an annual accreditation fee and any inspection fees incurred
• z submit an application for reaccreditation and undergo a full reaccreditation inspection before the
expiry date of your current accreditation
The failure of your institution to meet any of the above requirements may lead to the suspension or withdrawal
of your accreditation (see section 3.3).
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Accreditation awarded
for the full 4 years
POST-ACCREDITATION
Annual Accreditation Fee
Institutions are asked to submit their
enrolment figures each July, which are
used to calculate the accreditation fee to
be invoiced in September
Annual Return
Every year institutions must submit:
- declaration of financial viability
- most recent audited accounts
- details of significant changes
- list of academic programmes
- student progression data
Unannounced
spot check
Intelligence received
BAC will investigate any evidence
of wrongdoing by an
accredited institution
Accreditation Committee
BAC standards met
in all areas
A report is made to the
Accreditation Committee,
who may order a new
inspection, suspend or
withdraw accreditation
Student Complaints
BAC will mediate between
student and institution and try to
resolve the issue where possible
After Accreditation
Reaccreditation
All institutions require a
reinspection
every 4 years
3.2.2 Notification of changes
Institution must advise BAC
of any changes to their
establishment and undergo a
supplementary inspection where
necessary
Interim Inspection
- conducted midway through the
accreditation period, or in the case of
newly accredited institutions within the
first 12 months
- checking that required standards
have been maintained and satisfactory
progress has been made towards
recommendations
You must notify BAC immediately of any significant changes to your provision, premises, management or
ownership. Examples of what constitutes a significant change include:
• z change of institution name
• z change of ownership or company registration
• z change of company directors
• z change of principal, academic manager or any other person responsible for the institution’s operation
• z relocation to new premises
• z use of additional premises
• z change in the academic programme as seen in the previous inspection
It is your responsibility to inform BAC, in good time, when such changes occur. If such a change is planned in
advance, you should notify BAC as soon as is reasonably practicable, to allow a prompt decision to be taken
on any course of action. In the case of unplanned changes, you should notify BAC as soon as is reasonably
practicable and not later than one week after the change has occurred.
BAC reserves the right to review your accreditation in the light of such changes and to require either the
submission of documentary evidence or a new inspection, at your expense, depending on the nature of the
change. Failure to cooperate with such a requirement from BAC will lead to the suspension or withdrawal of
accreditation (see section 3.3).
Both the use of new or additional premises and the introduction of significant changes to the academic
programme will ordinarily require a supplementary inspection, at your expense.
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Examples of additional documentary evidence which may be required include:
• z a personal reference and CV for any newly appointed principal
• z a written statement explaining the reasons behind any change in name
• z details of any new programme being introduced, including proof of centre approval by the awarding
body where applicable.
3.2.3 Annual return
You are required to submit an annual return after the end of each academic year and in doing so to alert BAC to
any changes which may affect the standards of provision offered by your institution. Where significant changes
have occurred, a BAC representative may inspect your institution and prepare a report for the Accreditation
Committee.
The annual return will include the following information and documentation:
• z a declaration of financial viability by the principal/director
• z a copy of your most recent statutory accounts
• z details of any significant changes in ownership, management, location or academic programme
• z details of courses offered in the previous year, including numbers enrolled on each course, cohort
progression, numbers completing and pass rates in any examinations taken
• z a list of courses offered in the current academic year, including the level of the course in relation to the
National Qualifications Framework (or Qualifications and Credit Framework) and the name of the awarding body
• z an outline of planned developments
• z details of any litigation in which your institution was involved
• z a declaration that your institution meets all relevant statutory requirements. If, at a future stage, the
Accreditation Committee considers there to be convincing evidence that this was not the case, BAC
may withdraw accreditation immediately
N.B. The above list is not exhaustive and is reviewed for possible amendment each year.
3.2.4 Accreditation fee
Accredited institutions are required to pay an annual accreditation fee (see fees sheet). The exact fee payable
depends on the number of students enrolled at your institution over the previous year. You must therefore
supply BAC with accurate enrolment figures once per year on request. If you fail to supply such figures by the
deadline given you will be liable for the maximum accreditation fee. If you fail to pay the annual accreditation
fee by the deadline given on the invoice, BAC will assume that you have decided to withdraw voluntarily from
accreditation.
After Accreditation
If you do decide to withdraw voluntarily from accreditation, you must give BAC at least one month’s notice.
If you withdraw voluntarily in the first six months of the accreditation year (September-February), you will be
liable for half payment of the annual fee. If you withdraw voluntarily on or after 1 March each year, you will be
liable for full payment of the annual fee.
3.2.5 Interim inspection
All accredited institutions receive an interim inspection part of the way through each four-year period of
accreditation. For new institutions, this will take place in the first year after accreditation. For others, it will
be organised for the second year after reaccreditation.
An interim inspection is normally carried out by one inspector and will normally last half a day, depending on the
size and diversity of your institution and your academic programme. Interim inspections are normally carried
out at BAC’s expense, although institutions operating outside of the UK will be required to cover the inspectors’
expenses.
Interim inspections are designed both to ensure that the standards required for accreditation are being
maintained and to assess your progress in responding to the requirements and recommendations of the most
recent inspection report. They also provide an opportunity for you to discuss with the inspector any changes
which have taken place since the previous inspection and any prospective developments. The interim inspection
will include a spot check of your compliance with any relevant local statutory requirements.
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Outcome
Following an interim inspection, the report will be considered by the Accreditation Committee, which will
decide either that accreditation should continue or that there are areas of concern which require further
action. The report will then be sent to you with details of the decision and any further action required.
Where an interim inspection report identifies significant problems or evidence that you are not upholding BAC’s
standards, the Accreditation Committee may require further action, such as:
• z an unannounced spot check at your expense
• z the submission of an action plan for addressing the problems identified
• z setting a deadline for the submission of documentary evidence demonstrating that the problems
identified have been resolved
Full cooperation with any action required by the Accreditation Committee is a condition of continuing
accreditation. In some cases, the Accreditation Committee may decide to suspend accreditation while such
action is carried out. Any subsequent failure of your institution to cooperate fully may lead to the immediate
withdrawal of accreditation.
3.2.6 Spot check inspections
A spot check is an inspection removed from the normal accreditation process and which is not arranged with the
institution in advance. BAC may or may not give you prior notification of an impending spot check.
A spot check inspection is normally carried out by one inspector and will normally last for no more than half a
day. The inspection may focus on a number of specific issues or it may look at a broader range of areas.
After Accreditation
Spot check inspections are carried out each year on a number of accredited institutions, selected at random.
In addition, a spot check inspection may be ordered at the discretion of the Chief Inspector or on request of the
Accreditation Manager or the Accreditation Committee. The reasons for requesting a spot check may include:
• z failure to submit an annual return by the deadline
• z failure to notify BAC of a significant change (see section 3.2.2)
• z failure to respond promptly to a request for information
• z failure to cooperate fully and promptly with BAC’s complaints procedure
• z specific intelligence received from one of the bodies with which BAC shares information
• z receipt of any other evidence that your institution is not maintaining the standards required for accreditation
Spot check inspections are normally carried out at the expense of the institution, except in the case of
institutions inspected as part of the random spot check monitoring programme.
Outcome
Following a spot check inspection, the report on its findings will be considered by the Accreditation Committee,
which will decide either that accreditation should continue or that there are areas of concern which require
further action. You will then be sent details of any decision and of any further action required.
Where a spot check report identifies significant problems or evidence that the institution is not maintaining
BAC’s standards, the Accreditation Committee may require further action, including:
• z a further unannounced spot check at the institution’s expense
• z a further full or supplementary inspection at the institution’s expense
• z the submission of an action plan for addressing the problems identified
• z setting a deadline for the submission of documentary evidence demonstrating that the problems
identified have been resolved
Full cooperation with any action required by the Accreditation Committee is a condition of continuing
accreditation. In some cases, the Accreditation Committee may decide to suspend your accreditation while such
action is carried out. Any subsequent failure of your institution to cooperate fully may lead to the immediate
withdrawal of accreditation.
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Where a spot check inspection identifies evidence of a serious breach of the law, a significant risk to the welfare
of students or an attempt to deceive BAC or its inspectors, the Accreditation Committee may withdraw your
accreditation with immediate effect. In such cases, the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Accreditation Committee
may act on its behalf (see sections 3.3.2 and 3.3.3).
3.2.7 Reaccreditation
If you wish to remain in accreditation, you must submit an application for reaccreditation and undergo a full
reaccreditation inspection every four years. Should you fail to undergo a reaccreditation inspection before
your current accreditation expiry date, your accreditation will be withdrawn. The reaccreditation application
procedure is set out in full in section 2.2.2.
Accreditation may be extended for a period, normally of no more than one year, if the Accreditation Committee
considers there to be exceptional circumstances which make it necessary to delay the reaccreditation inspection.
These would normally involve significant changes which are planned or which recently took place. Requests for
an extension of accreditation must be submitted to the BAC office at least six months before the expiry date
of your current accreditation and using the appropriate form. This form and others are available from the BAC
office or can be downloaded from the BAC website (www.the-bac.org).
3.3 WITHDRAWAL AND SUSPENSION OF ACCREDITATION
3.3.1 Procedure
Following inspection
• z The Accreditation Committee may withdraw accreditation if the inspection report shows your
institution as failing to meet the standards required for accreditation (see section 4).
Following a complaint
• z The Accreditation Committee may suspend or withdraw accreditation following a complaint under the
procedures set out in section 7.
Failure to meet the requirements of continuing accreditation
• z The Accreditation Committee may suspend or withdraw accreditation if your institution fails to meet
the requirements for continuing accreditation as set out in section 3.2.1.
Appealing against the withdrawal of accreditation
• z If accreditation is withdrawn, you may appeal against the decision under the procedures set out in
section 6.
After Accreditation
3.3.2 Additional grounds for immediate suspension or withdrawal
In addition to the above scenarios, the Accreditation Committee may suspend or withdraw the accreditation of
your institution with immediate effect for any serious breach of the regulations in this handbook, including on
the following grounds:
• z conviction of the owner(s), a company director or the head of the institution on either civil or criminal
grounds relevant to the good management of the institution
• z bankruptcy, where the institution is owned by individuals, or insolvency, where the institution is owned
by a company
• z failure to comply with all relevant laws and regulations
• z enrolling or offering to enrol students onto unauthorised degree programmes
• z failure to respond within reasonable time to a request from BAC in respect of a complaint from a
student or external body
• z non-payment of accreditation, inspection or other fees
• z failure to apply for reaccreditation by the deadline given
• z failure to undergo a reaccreditation inspection by the accreditation expiry date
• z failure to submit to a spot check, supplementary or early reaccreditation inspection required by BAC
• z failure to submit a complete annual return by the deadline given
• z the making of any false or intentionally misleading statements on the forms or in associated documents
of the application, annual return or any other submission to BAC
25

• z the making of any false or intentionally misleading statements or claims in respect of the nature or
scope of your accreditation by BAC
• z failure to notify BAC of a significant change as soon as is reasonably practicable
• z changes within your institution which render you no longer eligible for BAC accreditation (see section
1.5.1)
The above list is not exhaustive. Although a breach of BAC’s regulations such as those listed above will usually
lead the Accreditation Committee to suspend accreditation while BAC carries out a thorough investigation,
any failure by you to cooperate with the investigation promptly and to BAC’s full satisfaction will lead to the
immediate withdrawal of accreditation.
3.3.3 Additional procedures for suspension and withdrawal
Your institution will continue to appear on the BAC directory of accredited institutions during any period of
suspension, but may be summarily removed if accreditation is subsequently withdrawn.
The Chair, and in his or her absence the Deputy Chair, of the Accreditation Committee has delegated authority
to make decisions on the immediate suspension or withdrawal of accreditation.
After such a decision by its Chair or Deputy Chair, the Accreditation Committee at its next meeting will receive
a report of the grounds for the suspension or withdrawal and any response from you, and then may determine
either to confirm or to overturn the decision.
In the case of a suspension, the Accreditation Committee may determine either to reinstate or withdraw
accreditation or to maintain the suspension for a further period to allow you to take remedial action.
If your accreditation is withdrawn, you have the right to make use of BAC’s appeals procedure (see section 6).
After Accreditation
3.3.4 Voluntary withdrawal from accreditation
If you no longer require BAC accreditation and decide to withdraw voluntarily, you must notify BAC in writing of
your intent with a letter signed by the principal/director or head of institution and delivered to the BAC office.
One month’s notice is required. You may be contacted to discuss your reasons for withdrawal, as BAC values all
feedback on how its service to accredited institutions can be improved.
If you decide to withdraw from accreditation, you will remain liable for any outstanding fees owed to BAC,
including the annual accreditation fee (see section 3.2.4).
After a voluntary withdrawal, BAC will remove you from its lists of accredited institutions, including the website
directory, and will report the withdrawal to the Accreditation Committee and other interested parties.
26

ACCREDITATION CRITERIA AND STANDARDS
4.1 PROGRAMMES AND AWARDS
4.1.1 BAC’s approach
BAC does not validate or accredit qualifications. BAC’s policy is that institutions should offer courses leading
to external awards granted by recognised awarding bodies. BAC does however accept that there may be
instances where there is no appropriate external awarding body.
4.1.2 Degrees
If an institution is offering an award which is “described as a degree”, it must have had degree-awarding
powers officially bestowed upon it. Before a private institution can offer courses leading to degrees it must
enter into a formal partnership agreement with a recognised UK degree awarding body or an overseas body
which has accredited degree-awarding powers. Institutions must clearly state the awarding university on all
publicity material. Furthermore, institutions should not advertise pathways to a degree as a degree award.
4.1.3 Overseas degrees
BAC will not grant accreditation to institutions or maintain the accreditation of institutions which offer
courses leading to overseas degrees unless the degree awarding body is itself accredited by a recognised
accrediting agency. This would normally be a national agency or, in the case of US degrees, a body recognised
by the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accredited institutions considering entry into
a partnership enabling the offer of degree programmes are strongly recommended to contact BAC to ensure
that the awarding body meets BAC’s requirements.
Institutions offering courses leading to degrees awarded by an overseas body should be aware that they need
to show that they have taken reasonable steps to inform the person to whom the award was granted or any
member of the public or particular individual to whom the offer or invitation was addressed that the award
was not granted or to be granted by a national institution. Thus publicity material must state the location of
the degree awarding body.
4.1.4 Internal awards
BAC’s inspectors will consider the accuracy of any claims made by institutions as to the level and status of
their internal awards. This will include a requirement for evidence of the extent to which the institution’s
internal awards are accepted for the purposes of employment or further study. BAC encourages institutions
to involve external moderators in the assessment of students, but accepts that there may be instances where
this is inappropriate.
4.2 ACCREDITATION STANDARDS AND INSPECTION CRITERIA
4.2.1 Legal and regulatory compliance
Although BAC is a non-governmental organisation, its inspections monitor compliance with local legal
requirements in areas which include fire protection, health and safety, employment law, child protection and
safeguarding, equalities and non-discrimination, copyright and data protection licensing and regulation and
observance of visa regulations.
In addition to meeting BAC’s own standards, accredited institutions must satisfy BAC inspectors that they
fully comply with these statutory requirements. Accreditation will not be awarded to institutions which fail to
meet these requirements.
Accreditation by BAC, however, does not remove the obligations of accredited institutions to comply with all
relevant local statutory requirements. Both the application form and the annual return form require institutions
to confirm their compliance with all relevant local laws and regulations. Accreditation may be refused or
withdrawn if there is evidence of any non-compliance with the institution’s legal responsibilities.
27

4.2.2 Minimum standards and areas assessed
The following sections 4.3 - 4.7 set out the minimum standards required of an accredited institution, as well
as clarifying the likely scope of an inspection and the specific items assessed by BAC’s inspectors. Institutions
should use these sections as a basis for self-evaluation before the inspection.
The areas assessed at a full inspection are grouped into five sections, which will each be awarded a grade by
the inspection team:
• z premises and health and safety
• z management, staffing and administration
• z student welfare
• z teaching, learning and assessment
• z management of quality
A full list of the areas included in each section can be found in sections 4.3 - 4.7, together with detailed
guidance notes on interpreting and meeting the minimum standards required.
4.2.3 Grades
Accreditation criteria and standards
The grades awarded for each section are based on the following definitions:
A: Very good level of provision
B: Good level of provision with a number of significant strengths
C: Satisfactory level of all round provision
D: Provision which generally meets the requirements for accreditation, but has a number of weaknesses
which must be remedied in the immediate future as a condition of accreditation
E: Unsatisfactory provision because of significant weaknesses or breach of statutory regulations
F: Unacceptable level of provision, with serious identified deficiencies and weaknesses
Failure to meet in full the minimum standards listed at the beginning of each section will normally lead
inspectors to award a grade of D, E or F.
These grades are removed from inspection reports before release to institutions, but inform the decisionmaking
process of the Accreditation Committee as follows:
• z An institution should achieve at least a C grade in each of the five sections for accreditation to be
awarded. Where an institution fails to achieve this level, the Accreditation Committee may refuse or
withdraw accreditation, or may defer a decision on accreditation until the institution has had time to
address the weaknesses identified in the inspection report (see section 2.4.1).
• z An institution which fails to achieve a C grade or higher for a particular section, but which is awarded
accreditation after a period of deferral, will be warned that reaccreditation is unlikely to be awarded
after the next reaccreditation inspection unless significant improvement is seen in that section such
that a C grade or higher is awarded.
• z An institution awarded an E or F grade for any section, or a D grade for either teaching, learning and
assessment or management of quality, will normally have accreditation refused or withdrawn. However,
if the Accreditation Committee considers there to be extenuating circumstances it may defer a decision
on accreditation for a limited period, during which time the institution will be required to rectify the
specific deficiencies identified in the inspection report. Failure to meet these requirements in full may
then lead to the refusal or withdrawal of accreditation.
4.2.4 Document review and interviews
As well as setting out the minimum standards required, a list of the documents required for each section
can be found in section 5 of this handbook. The inspectors will need to see all this documentation, where
relevant, as a part of their evaluation as to whether the institution meets BAC’s minimum standards for
international accreditation. Some of these must be included with the initial application form; others should be
made available during the inspection. Each section also lists the staff who should be available for interview
on topics relevant to that section, although it is accepted that some may be unavoidably absent. If there is
no staff member with the specific responsibility indicated, the principal/director or nominated head of the
institution will be assumed to fulfil that role.
28

4.3 PREMISES AND HEALTH AND SAFETY
MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
An accredited institution must at all times meet the following minimum standards:
1. The institution has secure tenure on its premises.
2. The premises provide a safe and clean environment for students and staff.
3. Local statutory requirements in relation to planning, fire, health and safety are met.
4. Classrooms provide adequate accommodation for the class sizes allocated to them.
5. Classrooms, laboratories and any other specialised areas are equipped to a level which allows for the
effective delivery of each academic programme.
6. There are specific safety rules in areas of particular hazard (in science laboratories, for instance),
which are made readily available to students and staff.
Inspectors will satisfy themselves that the minimum standards have been met and determine the overall
grading of this section through an assessment of the following:
General
• z Tenure of premises
• z External: location, signage, building
• z Security
• z Standard of maintenance and cleanliness
• z Heating and ventilation
• z Circulation space
• z Reception area
• z Signposting
• z Notice boards
• z Toilets
Facilities for teaching and learning
• z Classrooms (number and capacity)
• z Specialised areas (laboratories, workshops, studios, etc.)
• z Independent or quiet study areas
• z IT facilities for private study
Accreditation criteria and standards
Facilities for staff
• z Staffroom
• z Workspace
• z IT facilities
• z Individual offices: senior management, academic staff
• z Administrative offices
Facilities for students
• z Storage (lockers, etc.)
• z Common room
• z Cafeteria
• z Access to IT for personal use
• z Recreation areas
29

External premises (if used)
• z Academic (e.g. extra classrooms outside the main premises)
• z Non-academic (e.g. sports facilities, catering providers, etc.)
• z Transport arrangements
Health and safety
• z Health and safety policy
• z Health and safety management (e.g. health and safety committee)
• z Risk assessments (general and fire)
• z Fire precautions
• z First aid (certificated first aiders, first aid kits, incident/accident book)
• z Rules for areas of particular hazard
Interviews
As part of their assessment, inspectors will hold interviews with the following:
Accreditation criteria and standards
• z Principal/Director
• z Nominated Safety Officer
• z Safety Officer for areas of hazard
• z First aiders
• z Maintenance/Facilities Manager
30

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS
The following notes give further guidance on how bac and its inspectors will interpret the minimum
standards required in this section.
1. the institution has secure tenure on its
premises
Inspectors need to see a copy of the lease/licence or
evidence that the institution owns the premises. It is
unlikely that, in the case of a well-established institution,
accreditation will be awarded for any period longer than
the current tenure of the premises, although it is
accepted that an institution in its early stages may
operate on a short term basis in premises of a modest
size with an agreement to extend its premises and
its tenure as and when student numbers justify the
expense.
2. the premises provide a safe, secure and
clean environment for students and staff
This should be self-evident, but inspectors regularly
report on toilets which are unsanitary or inadequate
in number, on broken and unsafe furniture and general
shabbiness and neglect. It is not acceptable that staff
or students should need to queue for any significant
period in order to use a toilet. Toilets which are in
heavy demand should be cleaned regularly during the
working day. There should be adjacent provision for
washing and drying hands. Where there are students
under the age of majority, there should be separate
staff toilets. If practicable, there should be toilet
provision for the physically disabled.
3. Local statutory requirements in relation
to planning, fire, health and safety are
met
BAC inspectors are aware of general health and
safety requirements but they are neither chartered
surveyors nor health and safety consultants, and
professional advice must be sought if you are unsure
as to the requirements or whether your premises offer
an adequate level of safety. Inspectors will ensure
that the institution complies with all local health and
safety requirements and may make recommendations
for improvement.
4. classrooms provide adequate
accommodation for the class sizes allocated
to them
Classrooms should have adequate seating and writing
provision for the number of students enrolled in the
class (as opposed to those who might typically attend).
5. classrooms, laboratories and any other
specialised areas are equipped to a level
which allows for the effective delivery of
each academic programme
It is not a requirement that classrooms should
be equipped with the latest technology, but as a
minimum each student should be seated comfortably,
with adequate space for taking notes and a clear view
of an appropriately sized whiteboard (or blackboard,
projection screen, etc.) used by the teacher. There
should be sufficient space to allow the teacher to
circulate and give individual attention to students.
Different classes have different requirements: if a
class is planned to include small group work or other
interaction between students, classroom layout
should be designed to allow this.
As well as being adequately equipped, science
laboratories should not be overcrowded and there
should be sufficient space to enable the teacher to
ensure that each student carries out practical work
in safety.
Computer suites should have up-to-date hardware and
software; workstations should have enough space to
allow students to take notes or refer to manuals, and
should be equipped with height-adjustable seating. If
the room is also used for conventional teaching, the
layout and sight lines should allow for this.
6. there are specific safety rules in areas of
particular hazard (in science laboratories,
for instance), and these are made readily
available to students and staff
The person responsible for health and safety in areas
of particular hazard should be clearly identified.
Such areas could include art studios, computer
suites, kitchens and sporting facilities, as well as
science laboratories. Rules governing health and
safety should be clearly posted and should form part
of student induction. As well as governing behaviour
and the handling of hazardous materials, rules should
typically include reference to protective clothing
and eyewear, disposal of waste and restrictions on
unsupervised access. Hazardous material should be
clearly labelled and stored securely. There should
be adequate provision of first aid materials. Where
volatile material is used (including fixatives), there
should be adequate ventilation and, if used, fume
cupboards should be regularly serviced. A register of
hazardous material should be regularly updated and
stored in a place which can be easily accessed by the
emergency services.
Accreditation criteria and standards
31

4.4 MANAGEMENT, STAFFING AND ADMINISTRATION
MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
An accredited institution must at all times meet the following minimum standards:
1. The institution is effectively managed.
2. The administration of the institution is effective.
3. Local statutory requirements in relation to employment are met.
4. The institution has a written policy on equalities and actively discourages discrimination.
5. Staff have an appropriate level of experience and qualifications.
6. Attendance and punctuality are recorded and monitored, with a clear policy of requiring students
to attend at least 80% of scheduled classes, systems in place to monitor student attendance and
evidence of prompt and effective action taken where attendance falls below this level.
7. The institution complies with all applicable local regulations for overseas students.
8. Entry requirements for each course are clearly stated and the institution takes reasonable steps to
ensure that students accepted for enrolment meet these requirements.
9. There are satisfactory procedures for the administration of examinations and other means of
assessment.
10. Publicity material gives a comprehensive and accurate description of the institution and its academic
programme.
11. There is no breach of local copyright regulations.
12. The institution complies with all local requirements for data protection.
Accreditation criteria and standards
Inspectors will satisfy themselves that the minimum standards have been met and determine the overall
grading of this section through an assessment of the following:
Management structure
• z Role of owners, trustees, governing body, etc. (including terms of reference)
• z Senior management
• z Principal/Director including the definition of the role
• z Other senior managers (academic and non-academic)
• z Communication between senior and non-senior staff
• z Effectiveness of management
Academic staff
• z Appointment procedures
• z Verification of qualifications
• z Appropriateness of qualifications and experience in the context of programmes offered
• z Balance between full-time and part-time staff
• z Staff turnover
Academic management
• z Student records
• z Policy on student attendance and punctuality (including method of recording, monitoring and central
collation)
• z Adherence to requirements for overseas students where applicable
• z Timetabling and room allocation
• z Policy for acquisition of academic resources
• z Subject/area management
• z Examination administration
32

Administrative staff
• z Structure and size of administration
• z Effectiveness of administration
Employment
• z Contracts
• z Disciplinary and grievance procedures
• z Individual staff records
• z Evidence and verification of academic qualifications
• z Employers’ liability insurance or local equivalent
Equalities and non-discrimination
• z Written policy on equal treatment and evidence of dissemination and implementation
• z Monitoring arrangements
• z Procedures for students, staff and others to raise complaints about equal treatment issues
Student registration
• z Response to enquiries
• z Application form
• z Statement of entry requirements
• z Verification of student qualifications
• z Briefing of agents where applicable
Publicity
• z Prospectuses
• z Website
• z Other material
Copyright
• z CLA licence or local equivalent
• z Display of local copyright restrictions and monitoring of compliance
Accreditation criteria and standards
Data protection
• z Registration with the appropriate local data protection agency if applicable
Interviews
As part of their assessment, inspectors will hold interviews with the following:
• z Principal/Director
• z Academic managers
• z Senior Administrator
• z Examinations Officer
• z Marketing Manager
33

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS
The following notes give further guidance on how bac and its inspectors will interpret the minimum
standards required in this section.
Accreditation criteria and standards
1. The institution is effectively managed
There should be a clear description of the
management structure, with job descriptions of all
those who share in the responsibility for the good
management of the institution. There should be
evidence that those with managerial roles have the
experience and qualifications to carry them out.
This applies equally to administrative and academic
staff management. Where the principal is not the
owner of the institution, there should be a clear
description of the role of the owners or governing
body in the processes of strategic and financial
decision making.
2. The administration of the institution
is effective
There should be a clear description of the
administrative support available to all areas of
management. The size of the administrative team
should be sufficient to ensure the effective dayto-day
running of the institution. There should be
clear lines of responsibility and all administrators
should be aware of their roles within the institution.
Policies and systems should be well documented
and there should be mechanisms for disseminating
information across the institution and evidence that
these mechanisms are effective. Data collection and
collation systems are effective and meet local legal
requirements specifically in the case of compliance
with relevant regulations in relation to overseas
students, where applicable.
3. Local statutory requirements in
relation to employment are met
BAC does not concern itself with specific terms
and conditions of employment, but all local legal
requirements must be met in this respect and
inspectors may look at a sample of staff contracts
and the staff handbook to check compliance. In
addition to providing employees with legal contracts,
employers should display a current certificate of
employer’s insurance if required to do so.
4. The institution has a written policy
on equalities and actively discourages
discrimination
There is an effective and comprehensive equal
treatment policy and this is disseminated to all
staff and students. Monitoring arrangements are in
place. Procedures for students, staff and others to
raise complaints about equal treatment issues are in
place and there is evidence that complaints of this
nature have been satisfactorily addressed.
5. Staff have an appropriate level of
experience and qualifications
BAC’s normal assumption is that all teachers should
have degrees or equivalent (awarded by recognised
universities or awarding bodies), but accepts that
there may be circumstances where professional
qualifications or experience are acceptable
alternatives. In the case of EFL/ESOL, all teachers
would be expected to hold a specific teaching
qualification (normally CELTA, CertTESOL or
equivalent) and, in the case of a large department, be
led by a manager with a higher qualification (DELTA,
Licentiate Diploma TESOL, MA in Applied Linguists
or equivalent). In interpreting this, inspectors will
take into account the experience of teaching staff
and the specific needs of the students.
6. Attendance and punctuality are
recorded and monitored, with a clear
policy of requiring students to attend at
least 80% of scheduled classes, systems in
place to monitor student attendance and
evidence of prompt and effective action
taken where attendance falls below this
level
Class registers should include all of those enrolled
in the class and accurate records of attendance and
punctuality must be maintained on a daily basis.
These should be monitored and collated centrally
at least weekly. Where a class takes place over two
sessions on the same day with a break in between
these, BAC would expect the attendance register to
be taken for each session.
Institutions are expected to require students to
attend at least 80% of their course or programme.
This is a BAC requirement which applies to all
students.
8. Entry requirements for each course
are clearly stated and institutions take
reasonable steps to ensure that students
accepted for enrolment meet these
requirements
Inspectors will expect to see a clear statement of
entry requirements in course descriptions made
available to students before they enrol. These would
normally be in prospectuses or other promotional
material, including the website. The student
application form should ask for details of previous
academic achievement, and where appropriate
34

the institution should require certified copies of
transcripts and certificates.
9. There are satisfactory procedures for
the administration of examinations and
other means of assessment
Institutions which are centres for external awarding
bodies are presumed to be inspected by them
both prior to approval and periodically thereafter,
although inspectors may check these arrangements.
In the case of internally assessed awards, inspectors
look for evidence of appropriate procedures
for the security of examination papers and the
administration of examinations.
10. Publicity material gives a
comprehensive and accurate description of
the institution and its academic programme
A prospective student gains a first impression of an
institution from its advertisements, prospectus and
website, and it is important that this is accurate and
fair. BAC requires copies of all current prospectuses
and other publicity material to be submitted with an
application and will also scrutinise an institution’s
website during the application review. Accreditation
may be refused or withdrawn if such material is
misleading or incomplete.
BAC will expect the following principles to be
adhered to:
• z Photographs and text must give a fair
impression of size and status of the institution
and its premises, facilities and resources; any
photographs of premises or facilities which
are not part of the institution must be clearly
captioned.
• z Where specific reference is made to facilities
provided by an external body, the institution
must have permission to do so and must not
falsely represent either its relationship with
the body or the particular access which its
students have to the facilities.
• z The key staff who students or their
representatives might wish to contact should
be listed, with any list of academic staff being
up to date and any staff qualifications listed
being verifiable (including the indication of
awarding bodies of any degrees).
• z Information on the cost of courses must be
comprehensive and accurate, specifying the
period for which fees are applicable; any
additional costs such as examination fees, etc.
must be clearly shown.
• z Information on the academic programmes
available must be comprehensive and accurate,
including the length of courses, hours of tuition
and typical class sizes; it must indicate where
programmes will only be offered if they attract
viable levels of enrolment.
• z The institution must not advertise any
programmes which it clearly does not have the
resources to deliver or about which it has not
notified BAC at application or subsequently.
• z Information on programmes leading to external
awards must specify the examinations or
awards for which tuition is provided, must
specify the awarding body and must clearly
indicate where the awarding body is not based
in the UK.
• z Information on programmes leading to degrees
must specify the degree-awarding body and
must indicate where the degree is awarded by
a non-UK body, avoiding any breach of local
education legislation.
• z Information on programmes leading to internal
awards must include a statement on the
level of the award (relative to the National
Qualifications Framework or Qualifications
Credit Framework or local equivalent) and the
extent of its acceptance as a qualification for
employment or further study; no impression
must be falsely given that an internal award
enjoys external validation.
• z Claims about student progression and past
examination results must be accurate,
balanced and supported by evidence available
to BAC’s inspectors.
• z Additional services provided by the institution
should be specified, e.g. residential
accommodation or support in finding home-stay
or private accommodation.
• z The main text of prospectuses and websites
should be written clearly and accurately
without widespread spelling or grammatical
errors.
BAC also examines the terms and conditions on which
students enrol. These should be fair and reasonable,
with explicit statements of the circumstances under
which a student may be entitled to a full or partial
refund of fees and of the period of notice required
for withdrawal from the course after enrolment.
11. There is no breach of local copyright
regulations
Institutions must show that their procedures
follow local copyright regulations and display
the appropriate valid licence if required. The
institution’s policy on photocopying would be
expected to consider any breach of the rules by
staff or students as a matter for disciplinary action.
Inspectors will look out for photocopied copyright
material in use in classrooms.
12. The institution complies with the
requirements of any local data protection
legislation
As all institutions process a large amount of personal
data on students and staff, they must formally
notify the appropriate local agency of their activity
as a data controller and provide evidence that this
has been done where required.
Accreditation criteria and standards
35

4.5 STUDENT WELFARE
MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
An accredited institution must at all times meet the following minimum standards:
1. Students receive an appropriate level of pastoral support, taking into account factors such as their
age, abode and countries of origin.
2. Specifically in the case of students from overseas, the institution provides an appropriate level of
advice and assistance.
3. Where there are students under the age of majority or vulnerable adults, the institution meets the
local requirements of any child protection or safeguarding legislation, including any required checks
on the employment of staff.
4. An appropriate level of support or provision is available for students with special needs and the
institution has responded to the requirements of any local disability legislation.
5. If the institution offers residential accommodation, it is clean, safe and open to inspection by
the appropriate authorities and a level of supervision is provided appropriate to the needs of the
students.
6. If the institution organises home-stay accommodation for students, it is inspected before students are
placed and subject to regular re-inspection.
Inspectors will satisfy themselves that the minimum standards have been met and determine the overall
grading of this section through an assessment of the following:
General
• z Qualifications and experience of staff dealing with student welfare
• z Pre- and post-arrival advice and induction
• z Out-of-hours contact
• z Advice and counselling
• z Awareness of cultural/religious issues
• z Policies to avoid discrimination
Overseas students
• z Pre-arrival information
• z Advice on living in a different country
• z Registration for health care, help with banking, travel cards, etc.
• z Police registration and visa renewals
• z Access to speakers of their own first language
Accreditation criteria and standards
Learning Materials
• z Relevant child protection/safeguarding policy
• z Registration with the appropriate authorities as required
Child protection
• z Academic support for students with special needs
• z Facilities and support for students/staff with physical disabilities
• z Disability strategy and written policy
Provision for students with special needs or disabilities
• z Academic support for students with special needs
• z Facilities and support for students/staff with physical disabilities
• z Disability strategy and written policy
37

Residential accomodation
• z Record of statutory inspection if required
• z Standard of accommodation
• z Rules and supervision
• z Fire and safety
Home-stay
• z Selection of providers
• z Advice to providers
• z Advice to students
• z Monitoring and troubleshooting
• z Advice on travel between home-stay and institution
Social programme
• z Responsiveness to student needs/wishes
• z Costs
Student opinion
Accreditation criteria and standards
• z Report of meeting with representative student group
Provision for students with special needs or disabilities
As part of their assessment, inspectors will hold interviews with the following:
• z Accommodation/Welfare Officer
• z Residential staff
• z Social or sports staff
• z Representative group of students
38

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS
The following notes give further guidance on how bac and its inspectors will interpret the minimum
standards required in this section.
1. Students receive an appropriate level
of pastoral support, taking into account
factors such as their age, abode and
countries of origin
The level of support needed by students will vary
considerably, depending on their age, countries of
origin and the location of the institution. Inspectors
will take this into account rather than expecting a
certain standard of provision.
2. Specifically in the case of students
from overseas, the institution provides an
appropriate level of advice and assistance
Areas which inspectors expect to be covered include:
• z pre-arrival advice on matters such as: cost of
living in the area, accommodation, travel and
subsistence; guidance on arrival in a foreign
country (immigration, airport pickup or travel
from the airport); advice on what to bring to
the country (such as whether they need to
bring warm clothes)
• z induction on arrival: guide to the area (with
suitable warnings where appropriate)
• z local transport (including appropriate discount
cards if available)
• z assistance with police registration, banking,
registration with doctors and dentists (and
explanation of what is and isn’t free)
• z work possibilities and dangers
• z continuing availability of information and
advice
• z assistance with visa renewals where permitted
within the local regulations
• z help with travel arrangements
3. Where there are students under the
age of majority or vulnerable adults, the
institution meets the requirements of any
local child protection or safeguarding
legislation and all requirements in relation
to checks on the employment of staff
If there are any students below the age of majority
or any vulnerable adults, the institution must be
able to demonstrate that it conforms to all local
child protection and safeguarding legislation,
including requirements for disclosure or registration.
Additionally, there should be ongoing pastoral
support for younger students, including specific
provision for male and female students where
appropriate.
4. An appropriate level of support or
provision is available for students with
special needs and the institution has
responded to the requirements of any
local disability discrimination legislation
Even where an institution’s premises make access
for physically disabled people impossible, it is
required to provide evidence of having considered
what is reasonably practicable and to have
developed a disability strategy. In addition, there
should be strategies in place to support those who
are fully mobile (but perhaps with limited vision or
hearing) and those with special educational needs
(such as dyslexia or dyspraxia). The institution must
demonstrate compliance with any local special
needs legislation and demonstrate systems for
supporting such students.
5. If the institution offers residential
accommodation, it is clean, safe and open to
inspection by the appropriate authorities
and a level of supervision is provided
appropriate to the needs of the students
Needs will vary in accordance with the age and
background of students, with students under the age
of majority requiring the supervision of a resident
staff member and overseas students probably needing
additional induction. Under all circumstances, there
should be clear rules for the residents, regular
inspections and an emergency help-line to the
institution management. All local fire and health
and safety regulations must be complied with.
6. If the institution organises homestay
accommodation for students, it is
inspected before students are placed and
subject to regular re-inspection
Where an institution organises home-stay
accommodation, it is essential that the
accommodation has been inspected before students
are allocated and is re-inspected regularly, that
there are clear guidelines on what the student
should be provided with, and that there should be a
system to allow for intervention if the allocation is
not working.
Accreditation criteria and standards
39

4.6 TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
An accredited institution must at all times meet the following minimum standards:
1. The courses are planned and delivered in ways which offer students a reasonable chance of success
2. Teachers have an acceptable level of subject knowledge and pedagogic skill
3. Teachers respond to the individual learning needs of students
4. Students are enabled to prepare for target examinations
5. Students receive appropriate feedback on their performance and progress
6. Students have reasonable access to appropriate resources for study either within the institution or
externally
7. There is appropriate provision of advice for students going on to employment or higher/further
education
Inspectors will satisfy themselves that the minimum standards have been met and determine the overall
grading of this section through an assessment of the following:
Curriculum
Accreditation criteria and standards
• z Planning
• z Monitoring and coordination of coursework delivery
• z Definition/awareness of learning outcomes
• z Assessment
• z Policy on setting written work
Effectiveness of Teaching
• z Session planning
• z Session delivery
• z Responsiveness to individual student learning needs (e.g. lack of understanding, language difficulties)
• z Command of subject
• z Involvement of all students in active participation
• z Use of classroom resources
• z Focus on stated learning outcomes
Learning Materials
• z Textbooks/course materials/e-learning resources
• z Wall charts or other display material
• z Audio-visual materials and handouts used
• z Independent study resources within institution
• z External study resources
Assesment
• z Policy on assessment
• z Assessment linked to stated learning outcomes
• z Effectiveness of marking of written work
• z Feedback on written work
40

Ancillary Programmes
• z Language support
• z Study skills
• z Other
Higher Education and Careers Advice
• z Guidance on application to Higher Education establishments
• z Specific subject areas (e.g. medicine, dentistry)
• z Careers guidance
Interviews
As part of their assessment, inspectors will hold interviews with the following:
• z Principal/Director
• z Academic managers (e.g. Academic Vice-Principal, Director of Studies, Heads of Department)
• z Registrar/Admissions Secretary
Accreditation criteria and standards
41

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS
The following notes give further guidance on how bac and its inspectors will interpret the minimum
standards required in this section.
Accreditation criteria and standards
1. the courses are planned and delivered
in ways which offer students a reasonable
chance of success
There are two major elements involved:
• z Evidence of course planning and time allocation
which ensures that the full syllabus has been
covered by the time students reach their
final examinations or assessments, including,
where appropriate, scheduling of the required
coursework and revision periods
• z Classroom delivery which takes into account the
academic backgrounds and particular needs of
the students
All courses requiring 15 hours’ teaching or more
per week should be timetabled over at least three
days. This is common practice at most accredited
institutions in recognition of the real benefits in
students’ understanding of the course content.
2. teachers have an acceptable level of
subject knowledge and pedagogic skill
This should be self-evident. In coming to an
assessment, inspectors will take into account
the level at which the course is delivered and
the appropriateness of the pedagogic strategies
employed relative to the targeted knowledge and
skills.
3. teachers respond to the individual
learning needs of students
In the observed sessions, there should be evidence
of differentiation and that the teachers are aware
of different learning styles. The teachers should
also demonstrate that they employ strategies in the
planning and execution of the sessions which take
these into account. Teachers should employ effective
strategies for checking students’ understanding of
concepts and course content.
In the case of students not studying in their first
language, teachers should be aware of the specific
difficulties they face and, if necessary, be offered
training and support to enable them to develop
some basic techniques such as:
• z use of the whiteboard when introducing new
vocabulary (or pre-teaching such items or
offering students a course-specific glossary)
• z avoidance of misleading idiomatic language
• z encouragement of students to ask for explanation
or clarification
• z questioning strategies which genuinely test
students’ understanding (rather than asking for
a yes/no answer)
• z encouragement of quieter students to become
active participants
In addition, institutions should ensure that nonnative
speakers have access to advice on written
work and that there is an institution-wide policy on
error correction when marking written work.
4. students are enabled to prepare for
target examinations
Courses should be designed and delivered in ways
designed to allow students to develop the knowledge
and skills which will eventually be tested. Major
elements will be:
• z the extent to which lessons and assessments focus
on any assessment objectives or statement of
learning outcomes established by the examining
board or awarding body
• z the extent to which internal assessment
procedures relate to the standards which will
eventually be required
• z the extent to which students are made aware
of how their progress relates to their targeted
level of achievement
Institutions should also be aware that for many
students (notably those going on to higher
education), the development of independent
learning skills is essential, and that inspectors will
not look favourably on classes which simply involve
students in rote learning of sample examination
answers. Inspectors will also explore the methods
used by the institution to identify, discourage and,
where appropriate, penalise students for plagiarism.
5. students receive appropriate feedback
on their performance and progress
There should be mechanisms in place to allow for
appropriate oral and written feedback to be given
to individual students on a regular basis throughout
the course of study. The feedback should be tailored
to meet the needs of the individual student and be
delivered in a constructive and positive way.
6. students have reasonable access to
appropriate resources for study either
within the institution or externally
At a basic level, this means that students should
be able to work independently during free time
in the institution, normally in a dedicated study
area. Inspectors recognise that it is in some cases
unreasonable to expect an institution to have its
own library holdings of any size, although students
should have access to basic course and reference
42

material. Where students are encouraged to make
use of external libraries, inspectors will attempt
to establish the extent to which they make use of
the opportunities. Students, especially at more
advanced levels, should have reasonable access
to IT facilities, both for the use of the internet
for research purposes and for word and data
processing. Where an institution offers courses in
partnership with a UK university, inspectors expect
to see evidence that students have access to the
university’s online resources and that they are
properly inducted in using these. In the absence
of such a partnership, inspectors expect to find
subscription access to online journals and other
e-learning resources (freely accessible by students
and staff) and appropriate induction in their use.
7. there is appropriate provision of advice
for students going on to employment or
higher/further education
Where students are going on to higher education,
institutions should have comprehensive holdings of
university prospectuses and should have nominated
staff with responsibility to advise students both on
the selection of courses and universities and on the
process of application. More generally, students
who wish it should have access to advice on further
study or career opportunities.
Accreditation criteria and standards
43

4.7 MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY
MINIMUM STANDARDS REQUIRED
An accredited institution must at all times meet the following minimum standards:
Accreditation criteria and standards
1. The institution has effective systems to monitor its own standards
2. Students are adequately briefed on the nature and requirements of the courses for which they enrol
3. Student progress is effectively monitored and the monitoring is linked to procedures to allow for prompt
intervention where appropriate
4. The institution has a means of accessing and monitoring the views of students
5. Students have access to a fair complaints procedure
6. In the case of internal awards, there is a clear statement of the level claimed relative to the National
Qualifications Framework, and evidence that students who receive the award meet the stated
requirements for that level
7. In the case of internal awards, students have the means of appealing against assessment marks or
grades
8. The requirements of relevant local education legislation in relation to the offer or award of degrees
are fully observed.
9. Where programmes lead to the award of a degree, the awarding body itself is nationally accredited or
recognised by UK NARIC or, in the case of US degrees, accredited by a body recognised by the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation
Inspectors will satisfy themselves that the minimum standards have been met and determine the overall
grading of this section through an assessment of the following:
Quality Assurance Policy and Systems
• z Internal policies and strategies for data collection and evaluation
• z Self-assessment and review processes
• z External awards
Student Enrolment
• z Course descriptions (accuracy and relevance)
• z Pre-enrolment interview or other form of communication
• z Testing on arrival
• z Action taken if, on arrival, proposed programme of study proves unsuitable
Monitoring Student Progression
• z Monitoring and recording of progress by management and action taken if a student is not making
progress or initial placement is inappropriate
• z Personal tutoring or other academic support (including staff availability outside the classroom)
• z Progression and completion rates
• z Examination results: analysis year on year or against comparators
Student Feedback
• z Questionnaires
• z Formal student representation mechanisms
• z Access to and responsiveness of senior management
• z Complaints and appeals procedures
44

Staff Appraisal and Development
• z Induction of new staff
• z Classroom observation
• z Staff appraisal
• z Staff continuing professional development
Internal Awards
• z Descriptions and student profiles
• z Stated levels and assessment methodology
• z Rationale for the awards (rather than external awards)
• z Evidence that the awards meet local visa requirements (if available to visa students)
• z Means of assessment
• z Methods of internal and external moderation
External Awards
• z Relationship with awarding bodies
• z External moderation
• z Observance of requirements of relevant education legislation
• z Recognition of overseas awards by UK NARIC
Interviews
As part of their assessment, inspectors will hold interviews with the following:
• z Teachers
• z Academic managers
• z Careers/UCAS Officer
• z Librarian
Accreditation criteria and standards
45

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE MINIMUM STANDARDS
The following notes give further guidance for how bac and its inspectors will interpret the minimum
standards required in this section.
Accreditation criteria and standards
1. the institution has effective systems
to monitor its own standards
This is one of the most important of BAC’s
requirements, since an institution which does not
monitor its own standards cannot reasonably be
left without external evaluation for the period of
accreditation. BAC inspectors would expect to see
evidence of the following where possible:
• z evaluation of teaching
• z analysis of learning outcomes (examination
results, student retention and completion rates)
on a year-by-year basis
• z analysis of student satisfaction on a year-byyear
basis
• z reports of external examiners or moderators
• z minutes of staff meetings
BAC also recommends that institutions should
conduct their own annual reviews, recording
achievements and deficiencies, and setting targets
for the following year.
2. students are adequately briefed on the
nature and requirements of the courses
on which they enrol
BAC considers that institutions have a responsibility
to take all reasonable steps to ensure that students
understand the status, requirements and level of the
courses for which they intend to enrol. This is made
even more essential in the case of overseas students
as it may be more difficult for them to move to an
alternative course at a different institution.
BAC therefore expects the following:
• z clear course descriptions in prospectuses, on
websites and in any other promotional material,
including the name and status of the awarding
body and qualification, assessment procedures,
and possibilities for progression to higher
qualifications
• z staff who take initial enquiries should be
adequately briefed on the details of the
courses
• z opportunities for prospective students overseas
to visit institutions and meet relevant staff
before deciding whether to apply
• z opportunities for prospective students overseas
to engage in dialogue with adequately briefed
staff via email or other communication methods
• z application forms should be sufficiently
detailed to ensure that students are equipped
to undertake the course for which they are
applying
• z wherever possible, interviews should be held
with students either by institution staff or
by well-informed overseas agents before
enrolments are finalised.
3. student progress is effectively
monitored and the monitoring is linked
to procedures to allow for prompt
intervention where appropriate
BAC does not consider it acceptable that students
should be allowed to continue courses in which they
have no chance of succeeding unless they have been
given opportunities to assess their chances through
valid testing and have been made aware of the
likely outcome. Equally, those who ‘could do better’
should be identified and encouraged.
BAC recommends the following:
• z there should be a schedule of assessments which
allows for the early identification of those falling
behind
• z each student should have a personal tutor (or
equivalent) with responsibility for monitoring
a student’s progress across his/her whole
range of subjects, and able to supply advice/
encouragement when there are problems
• z the institution should provide additional support
for those who are genuinely in difficulties
despite their best efforts
4. the institution has a means of accessing
and monitoring the views of students
The means of achieving this will depend on the size
and nature of the institution. Questionnaires are
an obvious mechanism, but probably of little value
unless there is a high level of return and the questions
asked cover a good range of the institution’s
provision. Of course, they are of no value unless
they are read and collated and subsequent action
is genuinely considered even if not implemented.
A number of institutions have systems of student
representatives and student councils.
5. students have access to a fair complaints
procedure
Student complaints can usually best be resolved if
raised informally with an appropriate member of
staff at an early stage. This is often facilitated by
a genuine ‘open door’ policy on the part of senior
management in smaller institutions, but elsewhere
a more formal appointment system is more
appropriate. Where an informal approach has failed
to resolve the matter, students must be informed
46

of and have access to a published, formal, staged
complaints procedure, which should include at a final
stage the opportunity to proceed to some form of
arbitration. Students should also be advised of BAC’s
own complaints procedure and reference made to
this in the relevant literature.
university which is offering partnership. You can
check whether a US institution is accredited by
searching the database at www.chea.org.
Complaints relating to refund requests should be
avoided by ensuring that the terms and conditions on
which students enrol are fair, reasonable and explicit
in this regard.
6. in the case of internal awards, there
is a clear statement of the level claimed
relative to the national qualifications
framework and evidence that students
who receive the award meet the stated
requirements for that level
It is extremely important that students should not be
misled as to the status and level of internal awards.
Internal awards should not normally be offered in
parallel with external awards at the same level and
in the same subject area. Inspectors expect to see a
clear description of the curriculum and assessment
procedures and a statement of how the award
compares with available external qualifications.
Where possible they look for evidence that the award
is accepted for progression to higher education or to
entry to a profession.
7. in the case of internal awards, students
have the means of appealing against
assessment marks or grades
This is particularly important in the case of internal
awards, preferably allowing students access to
external moderation.
8. the requirements of the relevant
education legislation in relation to the
offer or award of degrees are fully
observed
Institutions must not offer their own degrees unless
they are authorised to do so, and that if they offer
programmes leading to degrees awarded by an
overseas university, it must be clearly explained
that these are not locally approved degrees. BAC
recommends that every page of a prospectus or
website which lists or describes degree programmes
should include reference to the awarding body.
Accreditation criteria and standards
9. where programmes lead to the award
of a degree, the awarding body itself is
nationally accredited or, in the case of us
degrees, accredited by a body recognised
by the council for higher education
accreditation
As there are many unauthorised or unrecognised
accrediting bodies, you are recommended to contact
the BAC office if you are unsure of the status of a
47

ACCREDITATION DOCUMENTATION
This section is intended to provide a helpful reference in preparing the documentation which will be needed
during the accreditation process. It is very important that you provide BAC with comprehensive and accurate
documentation, since the scrutiny of these documents is a core element of accreditation. Any missing or
incomplete documents will inevitably delay the processing of your application, while any documents which
are later found to be inaccurate or false may lead to the refusal or immediate withdrawal of accreditation.
Not all documents listed below are relevant to all institutions. If you consider that a document is not
applicable, please contact the BAC office for confirmation. In the application form you will be required to
indicate and provide an explanation for any documents which you do not consider to be applicable.
5.1 Application documentation
These documents must be submitted with the new institution application form.
A: Documents authenticating the legal status of the institution, including list of directors, partners
and/or legal owners
B: Lease agreement, if premises are leased
C: Copies of the last three years’ audited annual accounts (if the college is still in its early stages,
please supply internal accounts, or some other documentation to prove financial status e.g.
bank statements)
D: Health and safety policy directly relevant to the institution and naming persons responsible *
E: Fire risk assessment
F: General risk assessment
G: Organogram or outline description of the management structure with names of post-holders *
H: Detailed CVs and job descriptions of all senior management and academic staff
I: Staff handbook (including disciplinary and grievance procedures) *
J: Student handbook (including appeals and complaints procedures) *
K: Current prospectus, course brochures, and other marketing materials *
L: Student application form with details of fees and refund policy
M: Outline curriculum for each academic programme, including assessment procedures *
N: Current class timetables *
O: Employers’ Liability Insurance Certificate or local equivalent if required
P: Copyright Licensing Agency licence or local equivalent if required
Q: Sample staff contract
R: Data protection registration as required
S: Evidence of local planning authority’s permission for educational use of premises if required
* Accredited institutions submitting an application for reaccreditation need submit only the documents
marked with an asterisk.
5.2 Inspection documentation
These documents must be made available to the inspectors for scrutiny during the inspection. No additional
documents are listed for Management of Quality as this is an overarching category which will encompass
documents already seen.
N.B. Institutions are advised that the list of documents below may not be exhaustive and other documents
may be required during the inspection.
Premises and Health and Safety
1. Current lease agreement
2. Floor plan of each site being inspected
3. Up-to-date fire risk assessment
4. Up-to-date general risk assessment
5. Records of fire drills for last 12 months
49

6. Safety rules applicable to areas of hazards
7. Completed health and safety posters on display
8. Certification of first aiders
9. Incident/accident book
Management, Staffing and Administration
10. Up-to-date organogram
11. Minutes of relevant committee or board meetings
12. Minutes of staff meetings
13. Detailed CVs for all academic staff, including evidence of academic qualifications
14. Timetables for all courses offered in the institution
15. Evidence of monitoring attendance, including class registers for each course/programme
16. Correspondence with students
17. Up-to-date, signed contracts of employment for senior, academic and non-academic staff
18. Valid, displayed Employers’ Liability Insurance certificate or local equivalent if required
19. Completed student application forms
20. Course descriptions
21. Briefing materials for agents if used
22. Up-to-date prospectus and marketing material
23. Data protection registration or local equivalent if required
Student Welfare
Accreditation documentation
24. Student induction packs
25. Disability policy and strategy
26. Child protection/safeguarding policy
27. Child protection disclosure and registration records or equivalent, if required
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
32. Whole course/academic year plans (schemes of work)
33. Completed lesson plans
34. Samples of marked student work
35. Internal quality assurance documentation
36. Copies of any policies developed by the institution as a means of quality management
37. External quality assurance documentation as required
38. Student files with details of registration, enrolment, attendance and qualifications
39. Sample placement tests
40. Records of student progress
41. Samples and summaries of any student feedback questionnaires
42. Summaries of results/grades awarded for previous three years for each academic programme (or from
start date, if the course has not been available for that time)
43. In the case of degree programmes, agreements with degree-awarding bodies
44. Documents relating to external moderation
45. Copies of external examiners’ reports for the previous three years for each academic programme (or
from start date, if the course has not been available for that time)
46. Copies of annual reports to the awarding bodies for the previous three years
47. Copies of any academic reviews carried out by or on behalf of the awarding body
48. Completed classroom observation forms
49. Staff appraisal procedures and completed documentation
50

6.1 RIGHT OF APPEAL
APPEALS
If the Accreditation Committee refuses or withdraws accreditation, an institution may appeal against the
decision under the following procedure. The decision to refuse or withdraw accreditation will have been
confirmed in a letter to the institution, accompanied by the detail of why this decision was taken.
The right of appeal is granted solely to provide an institution with the means of challenging either the
assessment of the inspectors in the course of an inspection or the judgement of the Accreditation Committee
in coming to its decision.
An institution has no right within this appeals procedure to challenge either the criteria assessed and
standards required for accreditation or the general regulations that accredited institutions must follow
(as set out in this handbook and any addenda). The right of an institution within this procedure is rather
to challenge the application of these criteria, standards and regulations in its individual case. For
complaints about the criteria, standards and regulations of BAC’s accreditation scheme, see section 7.3.4.
6.2 LODGING AN APPEAL
An institution wishing to appeal must send to BAC written notice of its intention (by letter, by scanned letter
over email or by fax). This written notice must be received by BAC within five working days of the date of the
letter or email which confirms the refusal or withdrawal of accreditation. For this purpose, each working day
is held to end at 16:00. Any letter confirming the refusal or withdrawal of accreditation will be delivered to
the institution’s designated primary contact both over email and by recorded post, through which receipt will
be confirmed. An institution should ensure that any correspondence addressed to its primary contact is opened
and dealt with in his or her absence.
The outcome of the appeal will be final and there will be no further recourse to the appeals process.
The notice of appeal must be accompanied by full payment of the appeal fee (see fees sheet). This fee will
be refunded if the Appeal Committee overturns the decision of the Accreditation Committee.
6.3 GROUNDS FOR AN APPEAL
The appeal submission must clearly state the grounds for the appeal, selecting one of the following arguments:
a) that the Accreditation Committee did not have all the relevant information available to it at the
time, and/or
b) that the decision was not made in accordance with the procedures or criteria set out in the
Accreditation Handbook.
If the grounds for the appeal do not fall under either of these headings, an explanation must be provided.
6.4 ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS
No appeal will be heard while the institution owes BAC any accreditation, inspection or other fees. If an
institution fails to settle all outstanding debts within 10 working days of its notice of appeal, its right to appeal
will expire.
In the period between the notice of appeal and the outcome of the appeal, an accredited institution remains
accredited and an unaccredited institution remains unaccredited.
When BAC receives the notice of appeal, it will send the institution a list of the individuals who may be
asked to serve on the Appeal Committee. If the institution objects to any of these individuals serving, its
objections and rationale should be submitted to the Chair of Council via the Chief Executive within five
working days of the list being sent. The decision of the Chair in this matter will be final.
51

6.5 APPEAL PROCESS
An appeal will be heard by an Appeal Committee comprising one independent Chair, one layperson and one
member of the BAC Council who did not vote in the original decision of the Accreditation Committee. The
institution will have the right to request that the hearing be held in public.
6.5.1 Appeal submission
Within 10 working days of its notice of appeal, the institution must submit a statement setting out the grounds
for the appeal, selecting one of the arguments described in section 6.3, together with any relevant supporting
documentation.
6.5.2 Appeal hearing
The appeal hearing will consider documentation comprising the following, where relevant:
• z the most recent application form and supporting documentation submitted by the institution
• z the relevant inspection report(s), including grades (where available)
• z written submissions from the inspectors who carried out the relevant inspection(s)
• z the appeal submission described above
• z any other material considered agreed by both BAC and the appellant to be relevant
All parties to the appeal will receive the same documentary evidence.
The appeal hearing will normally take place within 25 working days of the notice of appeal. A representative of
the institution and a representative (normally the Chair or Deputy Chair) of the Accreditation Committee will
have the right to appear at the hearing to give evidence to the Appeal Committee.
Appeals
At the end of the hearing, the Appeal Committee may make one of three decisions:
• z to dismiss the appeal
• z to order a new inspection at BAC’s expense
• z to instruct the Accreditation Committee to award or reinstate accreditation or reaccreditation.
6.5.3 After the hearing
TThe Appeal Committee will inform the institution of its decision within five working days.
The Chair of the Appeal Committee will make a written report to the Chair of Council, setting out the
decision, its grounds and, if appropriate, recommending changes in the inspection or accreditation process, at
which point the procedure will be deemed to be exhausted.
The outcome of the appeal will also be reported to the next meeting of the Accreditation Committee for its
information.
Upon completion, the appellant will have no further recourse to the appeals process.
52

6.6 TIMELINE FOR APPEALS
Dates (in working days)
Day 0
Day 5
Full appeal procedure
Notification of withdrawal or refusal of accreditation sent
Deadline for notice of appeal and payment of £1000 fee
Dates after notice of
appeal (in working days)
Day 5
Day 10
Day 25
Day 30
Full appeal procedure
Deadline for submission of any objections to potential panel
members
Deadline for submission of appellant’s grounds of appeal and
supporting documentation
Deadline for holding appeal hearing
Appellant receives official confirmation of the Appeal
Committee’s decision
Appeals
53

COMPLAINTS
7.1 COMPLAINTS BY STUDENTS AGAINST ACCREDITED
INSTITUTIONS
7.1.1 BAC’s complaints procedure
All accredited institutions must have in place an explicit and fair complaints procedure to which students,
their parents/guardians or other representatives have access, and this procedure should be exhausted before
a complaint is referred to BAC.
If a student or their representative has completed the institution’s own complaints procedure but has still
not achieved a satisfactory resolution, they should submit to BAC the following:
• z A detailed letter of complaint, including a full description of the cause for complaint and the
circumstances in which it arose.
• z A signed statement authorising BAC to investigate the complaint and to raise the matter with the
institution on their behalf – the signature can be scanned for students studying at institutions operating
outside the UK.
• z Copies of all supporting documentation relating to the complaint.
A complaints pack with more detail is available to download from the BAC website. BAC staff will seek to
resolve all complaints received against accredited institutions to the mutual satisfaction of the complainant
and the institution, with the exception of complaints which appear to relate to offences more appropriately
referred to a statutory authority.
If a complaint is received against an institution which BAC does not accredit, BAC will ascertain whether
or not the institution is accredited by another recognised accrediting body. If it is, BAC will redirect
the complainant to that other body. Any new or outstanding complaints against an institution whose
accreditation BAC has withdrawn, or which withdrew voluntarily from accreditation, will be similarly
redirected should the institution later be awarded accreditation by another recognised accrediting body.
7.1.2 What BAC will do
If BAC receives a complaint from a student or their representative against an accredited institution, the
following procedure applies:
• z The details of the complaint will be recorded by BAC staff
• z The institution concerned will be informed of the nature of the complaint and asked to investigate
its cause
• z The institution will be required to submit a written response within 10 working days detailing the
outcome of its investigation and, where appropriate, proposing a course of action to resolve the
matter
• z BAC will inform the complainant of the outcome of the institution’s investigation and any proposed
course of action
• z BAC will, with the agreement of both the complainant and the institution, make reasonable attempts
to mediate between the two parties in order to resolve the matter
• z As a result of its mediating role BAC may make recommendations for resolving the matter, but these
will not be binding on either party.
If after BAC’s attempts at mediation the matter remains unresolved, a detailed report on the complaint will
be made to the Accreditation Committee.
A detailed report will also be made to the Accreditation Committee if more than three complaints against
any one institution are received within one year.
55

7.1.3 What the Accreditation Committee will do
If the Accreditation Committee receives a report on a complaint against an accredited institution, it will
assess whether or not there is evidence that the standards required for accreditation are not being met, and
it may make one of the following decisions:
• z to dismiss the complaint
• z to require further investigation by BAC of the complaint, which may include an unannounced spot
check at the institution’s expense
• z to require the institution to undertake remedial or compensatory action where it is considered to have
failed to meet the responsibilities or uphold the standards of accreditation; if the institution refuses to
undertake such action, its accreditation may be withdrawn (see section 3.3.2)
• z to require an immediate spot check, supplementary inspection or reaccreditation inspection at the
institution’s expense where there is evidence that the minimum standards required for accreditation
are not being met; if the institution refuses to submit to the inspection, its accreditation may be
withdrawn (see section 3.3.2)
• z to suspend or withdraw accreditation; this decision is normally made only where the report of the
complaint indicates that the institution has refused to cooperate with BAC’s investigation, that it has
refused to take any required remedial or compensatory action, or that there is convincing evidence of
illegal behaviour by its senior management or any other serious breach of BAC’s regulations (see section
3.3.1)
BAC will notify the complainant and the institution in writing of the Accreditation Committee’s decision.
7.1.4 What BAC will not do
BAC will not consider complaints under the following circumstances:
Complaints
• z where the substance of the complaint is not relevant to BAC’s regulations or accreditation standards
• z where the complaint is made anonymously or solely by telephone or email: complaints must be made
in writing or sent by fax and accompanied by the complainant’s name, address and signature; this
information may be scanned and sent by email for students studying at institutions operating outside
the UK
• z where the complaint relates to a refund claim but is not accompanied by legible proof of payment in
the form of a receipt; copies of bank statements are not sufficient
• z where the complaint is already subject to a legal process
• z where the complaint relates to a contractual dispute between the institution and an employee or
employees
• z where the complainant has failed, without good reason, to make use of the institution’s own
complaints procedure
• z where the complainant has failed, without good reason, to fully establish that the content of a course
is of value to them and the awarding body is appropriately recognised before enrolment.
7.2 OTHER COMPLAINTS AGAINST ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS
BAC will carry out an investigation where a statutory body shares evidence or intelligence that a BACaccredited
institution is breaching legal requirements. Under these circumstances, the statutory body will be
informed of the outcome of BAC’s investigation of the complaint.
No formal complaints procedure is available to any other complainants, but BAC may choose to carry out its
own investigations of accredited institutions if it receives any evidence or intelligence of a failure to meet the
standards required for accreditation or a breach of other BAC regulations.
56

7.3 COMPLAINTS AGAINST BAC
BAC is committed to working in an open and accountable way. This includes responding positively to
complaints from institutions by investigating them thoroughly and where possible correcting any mistakes
identified.
7.3.1 Complaints about the content of inspection reports
Complaints about factual inaccuracies in inspection reports or feedback concerning their conclusions,
requirements and recommendations should be addressed to the Accreditation Manager, BAC, 7th Floor, 76
Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB, United Kingdom. No action will be taken if complaints of this nature are
received more than 30 days after receipt of the report.
7.3.2 Complaints about inspectors or staff
The roles and responsibilities of BAC inspectors and staff are addressed fully in their training programmes.
Inspectors and staff are made aware of what is expected of them, both in the content of their work and in the
way they carry it out. BAC takes seriously its duty to prepare inspectors and staff to do their work effectively,
professionally and with due courtesy and regard to the institution and its staff. In turn, BAC expects that
institutions will treat inspectors and staff with the respect, courtesy and professionalism necessary for a
successful inspection.
BAC recognises, however, that there might be occasions when institutions may wish to complain about the
conduct, behaviour and actions of BAC, its staff and its agents in relation to the published purposes, procedures,
criteria, methods and protocols associated with its accreditation scheme. Complaints such as these should
be sent to the Accreditation Manager, BAC, 7th Floor, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB, United Kingdom
Complaints about the Accreditation Manager should be sent instead to the Chief Executive.
7.3.3 Inspection feedback forms
Please note that an inspection evaluation questionnaire will be emailed to the institution after every
inspection. Please use this to submit any feedback (positive or negative) you may have about the inspectors or
the conduct of the inspection. The formal complaints procedures are not a means for institutions to provide
such feedback.
Complaints
The Accreditation Manager may contact the institution to investigate any negative feedback. Feedback on an
inspection is not passed to the inspector(s) concerned until after the inspection report has been considered by
the Accreditation Committee. Any relevant response from the inspector(s) will be passed to the institution.
7.3.4 Complaints about the accreditation scheme
These will be considered by BAC’s Executive Committee. Complaints such as these should be submitted in writing
to the Chief Executive, BAC, 7th Floor, 76 Shoe Lane, London EC4A 3JB, United Kingdom. Complainants will
be informed of the Executive Committee’s response to their complaint by its Chairman within 10 working days
of its meeting.
57

HELP
WHERE TO GET HELP
BAC website
While this handbook is intended to provide a comprehensive guide to the criteria, procedures and regulations
of BAC’s accreditation scheme, the BAC website contains additional information on many aspects of BAC’s work
as well as providing a useful repository of all the documents and forms required by applicant and accredited
institutions.
Key areas on the website
www.the-bac.org/about
- all about BAC, its governance, history and mission
www.the-bac.org/accreditation/international
-documents and information for institutions operating outside the UK
www.the-bac.org/accreditation
- general information about BAC’s accreditation schemes, including its scheme for colleges overseas, and a
repository of accreditation-related documents and forms
www.the-bac.org/colleges
- information on the colleges and other institutions that BAC accredits, including the comprehensive directory
of accredited institutions
Help
www.the-bac.org/cgateway
- the college gateway, a password-protected area for accredited institutions only, featuring an archive of
email information bulletins and repository of relevant downloads and documents
Accreditation seminars
BAC holds regular seminars aimed both at accredited institutions and prospective applicants, led by an
experienced BAC inspector. These seminars allow institution managers to learn more about the application,
inspection and accreditation process, ask any questions they may have and explore issues specific to their
institution within an open and supportive atmosphere.
More information, a programme of seminars and booking instructions are available from the BAC website at
www.the-bac.org/events/
BAC office
Institutions can contact the BAC office in order to discuss specific issues related to their accreditation or to
receive some general pre-application advice:
BAC
7th Floor
76 Shoe Lane
London
EC4A 3JB
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 76323520
Email: info@the-bac.org
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The office is open 08:30-16:30 Monday to Friday, except on public holidays and in the period between Christmas
and New Year. Detailed guidelines on what kind of enquiries can be answered and at what times can be found
on the BAC website at www.the-bac.org/contact/.
BAC Educational Consulting
BAC Educational Consulting is a new professional service from BAC which provides consultancy on an individual
institution basis in a range of areas, tailored to your specific needs and requirements.
For more information, please use the contact details below.
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7832 3524
Email: info@bacconsult.com
Web: www.bacconsult.com
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
The following links are to organisations which provide a valuable resource for information and advice on statutory
requirements and good practice relevant to the operations of an independent educational institution.
www.bis.gov.uk
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is the government department responsible for
supporting sustained growth and higher skills across the economy, especially through further and higher
education and skills training.
www.britishcouncil.org
The British Council works with government policy makers, higher education agencies, university leaders,
academics and students worldwide to support international higher education. It offers face-to-face English
language courses in 80 teaching centres around the world and administers more than two million exams,
including the IELTS test, in more than 100 countries every year. It accredits 500 teaching centres in the UK.
www.cvu.ac.uk
The Council of Validating Universities specialises in good practice and standards for that aspect of higher
education which concerns the validation of programmes of study by universities and colleges (‘awarding
institutions’) for delivery by other colleges or organisations (‘partner institutions’).
Help
www.enqua.eu
The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) disseminates information,
experiences and good practices in the field of quality assurance (QA) in higher education to European QA
agencies, public authorities and higher education institutions.
www.inqaahe.org
The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) is a world-wide
association of over 200 organisations active in the theory and practice of quality assurance in higher
education.
www.londoninternational.ac.uk
Through the University of London International Programmes, formerly the University of London External
System, the University of London has made accessible its degree programmes to students all over the world
since 1858. It has over 50,000 students in every corner of the globe studying on more than 100 programmes.
www.ofqual.gov.uk
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is responsible for maintaining standards,
improving confidence and distributing information about qualifications and examinations. It regulates general
and vocational qualifications in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. It gives formal
recognition to bodies and organisations that deliver qualifications and assessments. It also accredits their
awards and monitors their activities (including their fees).
http://www8.upen.ac.uk/about/validate
Through its partnerships with a range of students worldwide, the Open University (OU) validates awards which
have parity of esteem with awards offered throughout UK higher education. A validated award is exactly the
same as an OU direct award in terms of employment and application for postgraduate study.
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www.qaa.ac.uk
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is the educational oversight body and quality
assurance agency for higher education in the UK. QAA exists to assure standards and improve the quality UK
higher education.
www.sqa.org.uk
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is the Scottish equivalent of Ofqual and is also an awarding body in its
own right.
www.ukcisa.org.uk
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) is the UK’s national advisory body serving the
interests of international students and those who work with them.
www.uknaric.org.uk/
UK NARIC is the national agency responsible for providing information, advice and expert opinion on
vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from over 180 countries worldwide.
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
Universities UK (UUK) is the representative organisation for the UK’s universities. Together with Higher
Education Wales and Universities Scotland, its mission is to be the definitive voice for all universities in the
UK, providing high quality leadership and support to its members to promote a successful and diverse higher
education sector.
Help
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BAC BAC
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(Charities Registration No. 326652) and is a private company limited by guarantee (Registered in England No. 1828990)
The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education is registered as a charity
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(Charities Registration No. 326652) and is a private company limited by guarantee (Registered in England No. 1828990)
granted to reproduce the entirety of this work or extracts from it for personal and educational use only. Extracts from this
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granted to reproduce the entirety of this work or extracts from it for personal and educational use only. Extracts from
work must be acknowledged. All other rights reserved. This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service.
this Design work must by Erin be Sanna. acknowledged. All other rights reserved. This work is registered with the UK Copyright Service.