Appeals

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Appeals

How to appeal an assessment decision, the grounds we accept, and the escalation route to the awarding body.

Last updated 2 November 2026

Contents

Purpose

This policy allows you (the appellant) to outline your views or concerns in relation to a decision or action National Safety Academy (NSA) has taken.

Scope

This policy can be used by learners who wish to appeal against the following:
1. the results of assessments following completion of the re-marking process
2. decisions regarding special considerations
3. decisions relating to any action taken against a student following an investigation into malpractice in accordance with the malpractice policy.
4. the outcome of a complaint when the final escalation stage of the complaints policy has taken place, if a student is dissatisfied with the outcome.

Policy Statement

In all cases, an appeal will consider if NSA applied their procedures consistently, properly and fairly.
Where an appeal is successful, the panel will refer the decision back to the original decision-maker and ask for it to be reviewed again following the findings of the appeal panel.
An appeal can be made on the following grounds:
1. New evidence is available that is likely to have resulted in a different outcome if it was presented to the original decision maker, and it was not reasonable for the student to have presented at the time of the original decision. For this ground to be successful, the appellant must demonstrate:
  - that there is new evidence;
  - that this evidence is likely to have resulted in a different outcome if made available at the time of the original decision; and,
  - that there are substantial and verifiable reasons why it was not possible for this evidence to be presented at the time of the original decision.
That the appropriate NSA policy, procedure or guidelines were not followed.
That, having regard to the guidance, policy, and all of the circumstances, the decision was so unreasonable or irrational that no reasonable person could have made it.

Procedure

In order to initiate the appeals procedure, a student must email appeals@nationalsafetyacademy.co.uk.
Appeals must be made within ten days of the date that the original decision was communicated to the student. This ten-day period commences from the day following the sending of an email the release or re-marked grades, or one working day following the posting of a first class letter. Appeals received after this time will not be progressed.
All appeals will be initially considered by a member of the senior management team to ensure that sufficient information has been provided by the appellant and that the issue can not be reasonably resolved by other means.
All information to be taken into account must be presented in documentary form; there is no right to personal attendance at an appeal panel.
Once the initial application has been received and accepted, the appellant will be sent a link to pay the appeal fee of £150. This fee must be paid before the appeal is heard. The fee will be waived for unemployed or low income applicants on presentation of suitable evidence.
Where an appeal application is successful, the fee will be refunded to the applicant.
The appellant will be notified of the outcome of the appeal within two working days of the hearing date. The notification will include justification for the decision.
Where an appeal is fully or partially successful, the panel will refer the decision back to the original decision maker, with instructions to review the decision taking into account their findings.
All decisions will be communicated to the applicant via the address given on their enrolment registration.
If the result of an appeal brings into question the accuracy of the assessment process that affects one or more learners, NSA will take all reasonable steps to identify all students that have been affected, and correct or mitigate the effect of this and ensure it does not reoccur in the future.

Appeals

Purpose

Scope

Policy Statement

Procedure

Other documents

Questions about this policy?