Learner Registration and Certification
- Version
- 1.2
- Policy owner
- Examinations Officer
- Approved
- September 2026
- Next review
- September 2027
DAIS-POL-008
Learner Recruitment, Registration, and Certification Policy
Data and AI School of London, NCFE Approved Centre
Policy Owner: Examinations Officer
Version: 1.2 | Date: September 2026 | Review: September 2027
NCFE Risk Level: High
Mode of Delivery: Fully Online
8.1 Purpose and Scope
This policy sets out the procedures for recruiting learners onto NCFE qualifications, registering them correctly with NCFE, and claiming certificates on their behalf upon successful completion.
8.2 Recruitment and Admissions
Admission happens in two stages. The first establishes whether the qualification is right for the applicant and whether they meet its entry requirements. The second enrols them once they have accepted a place. Information is asked for at the stage that needs it, and not before.
8.2.1 Before an offer
Before applying, every prospective learner is given the information they need to decide whether the qualification suits them: its content, entry requirements, the minimum age in its specification, guided learning hours, how it is assessed, that it is delivered fully online, the minimum technical requirements, and the support available. The application asks them to confirm they have read it.
The application collects only what the admissions decision needs: personal details including date of birth, contact details, education and prior learning, the course applied for, and the declaration. Photographic identity, equality and diversity information, access arrangements and an emergency contact are not requested at this stage.
8.2.2 The admissions decision
Each application is assessed against the qualification's entry requirements, including the minimum age in its specification, before an offer is made. Where the applicant is under 18, the Designated Safeguarding Lead is notified before the offer is issued (Policy 11). Prior learning that may count towards the qualification is considered under the Recognition of Prior Learning Policy (Policy 13). The decision and its reasons are recorded. The school aims to decide within one working day of receiving a complete application.
The school does not over-recruit or enrol learners onto qualifications that are not appropriate for their needs. Recruitment decisions must be fair and comply with the EDI Policy (Policy 5).
8.2.3 Enrolment
An applicant who accepts an offer is enrolled in one sitting. They:
sign the learner agreement and pay the fee, or, where they are under 18, a parent or guardian contracts for the fee first (Policy 11)
upload photographic identity for verification under 8.3
provide equality and diversity information, for which "prefer not to say" is a valid answer
tell the school about any access arrangements or reasonable adjustments they need (Policy 12)
complete the initial assessment of English and maths under 8.8
may nominate an emergency contact, which is optional
Equality and diversity information is collected from every enrolled learner and is used to review recruitment, course design and delivery.
8.3 Identity Verification
As the school operates entirely online, learner identity must be verified digitally prior to enrolment. Learners are required to upload a clear photograph of a valid photo ID (passport or driving licence) during the enrolment process. The Examinations Officer verifies this document before granting VLE access and initiating NCFE registration. Photographic identity is requested at enrolment, after the applicant has accepted an offer. It is not required in order to apply.
8.4 NCFE Registration
All learners must be registered with NCFE via the NCFE Portal before they begin any assessable unit, and in any event within 90 days of the learner start date, after which NCFE apply a late registration fee. The Examinations Officer is responsible for:
Registering learners on the correct qualification and units on the NCFE Portal
Collecting and recording each learner's Unique Learner Number (ULN)
Ensuring all registration data is accurate and complete
Monitoring registration deadlines set by NCFE
Where a learner does not have a ULN, the Examinations Officer will support them to obtain one through the Learning Records Service (LRS). A ULN is not required in order to register a learner with NCFE and registration is not delayed while one is obtained: NCFE treat the ULN as optional at registration for all qualifications except T Levels, it can be added afterwards through the NCFE Portal under My learners and Manage ULN, and NCFE validate it against the LRS on the centre's behalf. A ULN must, however, be recorded and validated before a certificate is claimed, because without one the learner's achievement cannot be uploaded to their Personal Learning Record.
8.5 Online Induction
Before beginning assessed work, all learners must complete the school's structured online induction on the VLE. Completion is recorded digitally. Learners who have not completed induction will not be permitted to submit assessed work.
8.6 Certification
Upon successful completion of all qualification units, and confirmation by the Lead IQA that all assessment decisions are finalised, the Examinations Officer submits a certificate claim through the NCFE Portal. Certificates are notified to learners digitally. A log of all certificate claims and despatch confirmations is maintained.
8.7 Withdrawals
Where a learner is unable to continue, the Examinations Officer withdraws them from the NCFE Portal in accordance with NCFE's withdrawal procedures. Withdrawn learners retain their partial achievement records. Withdrawal procedures are detailed in Policy 14.
8.8 Initial Assessment and Individual Learning Plan
Every learner completes an initial assessment of English and maths at enrolment. It identifies support needs. It is not an entry test and does not decide whether a learner is admitted.
Its result, together with the learner's prior learning and any access arrangements, is recorded in an individual learning plan. The plan sets out the starting point, what the qualification will ask of the learner, and the support agreed. Because courses are studied at the learner's own pace, the plan is reviewed at points in their progress through the qualification rather than on fixed dates.
The procedure, including when evidence of a prior achievement may be recorded in place of the assessment, is set out in DAIS-SD-047.
Version history
| Version | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | April 2026 | First issue. |
| 1.1 | August 2026 | Added section 8.4 on NCFE registration and the Unique Learner Number. |
| 1.2 | 26 September 2026 | Admissions in two stages: only what the decision needs before an offer; identity, equality information, adjustments, initial assessment and an optional emergency contact at enrolment. Added section 8.8. |
This policy is reviewed annually. Next review: September 2027. Approved by: Head of Centre. © Data and AI School of London, September 2026. NCFE Approved Centre.