Assessment and Internal Quality Assurance
- Version
- 1.1
- Policy owner
- Lead IQA
- Approved
- September 2026
- Next review
- April 2027
DAIS-POL-016
Assessment and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Policy
Data and AI School of London, NCFE Approved Centre
Policy Owner: Lead IQA
Version: 1.1 | Date: September 2026 | Review: April 2027
NCFE Risk Level: High
Mode of Delivery: Fully Online
16.1 Purpose and Scope
This policy sets out the Data and AI School of London's approach to assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA) for all NCFE qualifications. It ensures that assessment decisions are valid, reliable, consistent, and fair, and that they are subject to appropriate quality oversight before submission to NCFE.
16.2 Assessment Principles
| Principle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Valid | Accurately measures what the learner is required to know or demonstrate |
| Reliable | Decisions are consistent across assessors, learners, and time |
| Fair | All learners have an equal opportunity to demonstrate achievement |
| Transparent | Learners are informed of requirements; feedback is clear and constructive |
| Sufficient | Evidence gathered is enough to confirm competence across all criteria |
16.3 Assessor Responsibilities
Assess learner evidence against the assessment criteria in the NCFE Qualification Specification.
Provide written feedback to learners through the e-portfolio within the timeframe set in the scheme of work.
Make only assessment decisions supported by sufficient evidence.
Record all decisions on the school's digital assessment tracking system.
Attend standardisation meetings and apply agreed decisions consistently.
Assessors must hold, or be working towards, a recognised assessment qualification and demonstrate current sector competence as required by the Qualification Specification.
16.4 IQA Strategy
The Lead IQA maintains a written IQA Strategy reviewed annually. The strategy covers the sampling approach, the sampling frequency, the method of sampling (digital review of learner portfolio evidence and assessor decisions), and the standardisation meeting schedule.
The basis for sampling is set by the size of the cohort. While a qualification has fewer than ten assessed learners, every assessment decision on that qualification is sampled. Once a qualification reaches ten or more assessed learners, sampling moves to a risk-based approach which ensures that all assessors, all units and all assessment methods are sampled, that every active assessor is sampled at least once per term, and that the first decision an assessor makes on a unit that is new to them is always sampled. The Lead IQA records in the IQA Strategy which basis currently applies to each qualification, and reviews it whenever a qualification crosses that threshold.
Sampling every decision is a deliberately higher standard than the qualification requires, adopted while the centre and its cohorts are small. It is a floor and not a ceiling: the Lead IQA may sample more widely at any time, and always does so following a concern, before an external quality assurance visit, and when a qualification is delivered for the first time.
16.5 IQA Sampling Process
Identify the assessment decisions to be sampled, on the basis set out in 16.4.
Access the virtual learning environment to review the learner submission, the assessor's decision and the feedback given to the learner.
Compare the assessment decision to the assessment criteria in the current qualification specification.
Record the outcome for each submission sampled on DAIS-SD-042 Internal Quality Assurance of an Assessment Decision, and record the sampling event itself on DAIS-SD-006 Internal Quality Assurance Sampling Record.
Provide written feedback to the assessor on the sampled decisions.
Escalate concerns about incorrect decisions to the Head of Centre.
An assessment decision selected for sampling is not released to the learner until the internal quality assurance of that decision is complete and the IQA has recorded agreement. Where every decision on a qualification is sampled under 16.4, no decision on that qualification reaches the learner before it has been internally quality assured.
16.6 Standardisation
Standardisation meetings are held at least once per term via video conference. All assessors must attend. Meetings ensure consistent interpretation and application of assessment criteria. Minutes are recorded and stored digitally. Attendance is monitored by the Lead IQA.
16.7 Disagreements Between Assessors and IQAs
1. The IQA provides written feedback to the assessor explaining the basis for the disagreement.
2. The assessor reviews the evidence and the IQA's feedback, responding within 3 working days.
3. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, the matter is escalated to the Head of Centre for a final decision.
4. Any adjustment to a learner's grade is communicated to the learner in writing.
16.8 NCFE EQA Cooperation
The Lead IQA prepares the centre for NCFE EQA visits (conducted remotely) by ensuring all learner portfolios and assessor decisions are accessible digitally to the EQA, all IQA records are up to date, and any actions from previous EQA visits have been completed. Remote EQA access to the digital portfolio system will be arranged within the timescale specified by NCFE.
This policy is reviewed annually. Next review: April 2027. Approved by: Head of Centre. © Data and AI School of London, April 2026. NCFE Approved Centre.