Quality Assurance and Review Policy

SPM Development Services Limited Quality Assurance and Review Policy September 2026

Reviewed and Updated: September 2026

Next Review: September 2027, or sooner if awarding body or commissioning requirements change.
Approved by: Simon Piper-Masha

Purpose

This policy sets out how SPM Development Services Ltd ensures quality across all of its provision, including accredited qualifications and non-accredited alternative provision. We are committed to continuous improvement and use feedback from awarding bodies, commissioners, learners, tutors and parents/carers to strengthen teaching, learning, assessment and safeguarding.

Scope

This policy applies to all staff, self-employed tutors, mentors and assessors working on behalf of SPM Development Services Ltd. It covers accredited qualifications delivered through OCN London, preparation for externally entered examinations, and non-accredited alternative provision.
For OCN London qualifications, SPM will comply with current assessment, internal quality assurance, standardisation and external quality assurance requirements. For learners entered externally for GCSEs or other examinations, SPM will cooperate with the relevant examination centre and awarding organisation requirements.
The policy also supports SPM in meeting the quality and reporting expectations of commissioning local authorities for learners with Education, Health and Care Plans and those receiving Education Otherwise Than at School provision.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Head of Centre has overall responsibility for ensuring that SPM meets awarding organisation and commissioning requirements and provides appropriate resources for quality assurance.
The Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) organises and oversees the assessment team. The IQA is responsible for planning and carrying out internal quality assurance, approving assessment tasks, sampling assessment decisions and learner evidence, supporting assessors,organising standardisation, maintaining records and liaising with OCN London and the External Quality Assurer.
Tutors and assessors are responsible for making fair, valid and consistent assessment decisions, giving learners clear feedback, maintaining accurate records and responding to IQA feedback and agreed actions.

Quality Assurance Activities

  • For OCN London qualifications, SPM will:
  • Maintain an IQA plan covering assessment, sampling, standardisation and external quality assurance activity.
  • Internally quality assure assessment tasks before they are used with learners.
  • Use a sampling plan that covers all active assessors, qualification levels, units or subject areas and different stages of delivery.
  • Carry out interim sampling where appropriate so that issues can be identified before assessment is complete.
  • Complete summative sampling before learner achievement is submitted for external quality assurance or certification.
  • Check that assessment decisions are fair, valid, consistent and supported by authentic learner evidence.
  • Ensure the size and frequency of sampling follow current OCN London guidance and reflect assessor experience, previous findings and identified risk.
  • Check that learner registration, achievement and Electronic Recommendation for the Award of Credit records are accurate before submission.
  • Carry out internal standardisation at least once each year and retain a record of the activity and any actions agreed.
  • Record IQA feedback, required actions and confirmation that actions have been completed.
Across SPM’s wider provision, quality will also be monitored through tutor observations, work sampling, learner voice, feedback from parents, carers and commissioners, attendance information, safeguarding and health and safety checks, complaints, compliments and awarding organisation or commissioner reports.

Feedback and Stakeholder Involvement

SPM values feedback from all stakeholders. We gather feedback from learners, tutors, parents/carers, schools, and commissioning authorities. Feedback is used to identify strengths, areas for improvement, and to plan actions for development. We also review compliments and positive feedback to recognise good practice.

Complaints and Safeguarding Links

Any concerns raised through complaints will be handled in line with SPM’s Complaints Policy and Procedure (2026). If a quality issue raises safeguarding concerns, this will be referred immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

Implementation and Monitoring

The IQA will review quality assurance activity throughout the year and report significant findings, risks and required actions to the Head of Centre.
Actions arising from internal quality assurance, standardisation, complaints, commissioner feedback or OCN London quality engagements will be recorded with a responsible person and timescale. Progress will be monitored until each action has been completed.
Quality assurance records will be stored securely and made available to OCN London and commissioning authorities where required. SPM will respond to External Quality Assurer feedback and complete any required actions within the agreed timescale.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if awarding body requirements, statutory guidance or commissioning authority expectations change.