The exams regulator Ofqual has fined Ealing’s University of West London £150,000 after finding breaches of qualification rules that it said affected thousands of music students.
Ofqual said the issues related to the university’s oversight of a third-party centre between January 2020 and November 2022, when the centre was able to provide music theory qualifications to 224 students using assessments that had not been through the university’s usual approval process. Certificates were issued despite the lack of approval.
The regulator revealed it also found that 4,300 students taking Ofqual-regulated Theory of Music qualifications did not receive certificates promptly after completing their assessments. It also found that the university did not have an appeals process in place for nearly three years.
Ofqual said the unnamed third-party centre had initially been contracted to provide online assessments during the Covid lockdown for the London College of Music Examinations, a trading name of the university.
While 224 students were directly affected by the use of unauthorised test papers, Ofqual said the university, as the awarding organisation, had no assurance at the time that the assessments being used were fit for purpose. It said about 40,000 students received certificates via the centre for nearly three years when it was not adequately supervised, posing a risk to students and to public confidence in exams.
Ofqual said an independent auditor, commissioned under its instruction, found no evidence to suggest that any other assessment had been delivered without going through the university’s approval process.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual’s executive director of delivery, commented: “This fine reflects the serious nature of UWL’s failures as well as our commitment to protecting students’ interests and maintaining public confidence in our qualifications system.”
In a separate notice, Ofqual said its enforcement panel had also ordered the university to pay £10,000 in costs.
A UWL spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “UWL accepts Ofqual’s decision on this matter. UWL regrets that its oversight of this centre fell short of the standard required and apologises to the candidates affected by these failings. Since the relationship with the third-party was terminated in 2022, UWL has undertaken a thorough review of its oversight processes and has implemented new controls to ensure future compliance.”
