Introducing principles into the General Conditions of Recognition

Ofqual is proposing to introduce a new Condition, referred to as the Principles Condition, within the General Conditions of Recognition. The Principles Condition contains 6 overarching principles and explains how these principles should be interpreted. Awarding organisations will be required to meet the Principles Condition by operating in a manner that reflects the following principles: 

• Principle 1 – An awarding organisation must act with honesty and integrity.
• Principle 2 – An awarding organisation must treat Learners fairly by acting and taking decisions with due impartiality and based on appropriate evidence.
• Principle 3 – An awarding organisation must ensure that each qualification that it makes available, or proposes to make available is, and continues to be, fit for the purposes for which it is intended.
• Principle 4 – An awarding organisation must act in a way that maintains and, where possible, promotes public confidence in qualifications.
• Principle 5 – An awarding organisation must act in an open, transparent and co-operative manner with Ofqual and, as appropriate, with Users of qualifications.
• Principle 6 – An awarding organisation must conduct its activities with a proactive approach to compliance with its Conditions of Recognition.

We are also proposing to introduce statutory guidance to support the Principles Condition and to help awarding organisations understand the principles. All awarding organisations will be required to have regard to this guidance. The proposed guidance includes, where appropriate, examples of behaviours that would indicate whether an awarding organisation is, or is not, acting in line with a principle. 

In addition to the principles themselves, the Principles Condition also sets out how an awarding organisation should interpret and apply the principles. In this consultation, the principles and their associated guidance are set out first, in order that each can be considered in turn. Those aspects of the Principles Condition and guidance that relate to their interpretation and application are set out in the sections following the principles. This sequencing in the consultation does not directly follow the way in which the Principles Condition will be structured – the full wording of the Principles Condition and its guidance, as it will appear in the General Conditions, is included in Annex A.

The introduction of the Principles Condition is intended to bring increased clarity to Ofqual’s framework and guide an awarding organisation’s actions when complying with Ofqual’s rules.