Approval of Study Centres
Submission for initial approval
If you see a market for our programmes and contact us, we will send you an information pack including full details of the submission you need to make to us. We recommend that you take note of the information set out in the criteria for approval before you complete your submission.
It is particularly important that clear evidence of a need for the course should exist in your market catchment area. Due recognition should be given to the need for a sound level of course-specific promotion and adequate numbers of quality specialist purchasing lecturers.
Assuming that your submission is acceptable, one of our representatives will carry out an initial centre visit within 2 months of receiving your submission. Within 4 weeks of a successful visit you will receive a report on notification of your ‘Approval’ category. Once provisional approval has been given, you will need to pay an audit fee (this fee is payable annually). You may then begin delivering our programmes.
Maintaining and progressing your centre status
We monitor standards on a regular basis by analysing your examination results and the level and content of student complaints. We will make further visits every 12 months to assess your suitability for continued approval or upgrading to higher categories of approval using the following schedule:
- One-two months before visit
Telephone tutor to arrange visit date. - Within one month before visit
Outline visit scope by e-mail or fax. - Within one week after visit
Contact students for feedback on the provision. - Annual visit
Assess objectives in the matrix. - Up to four weeks after visit
Write report and issue certificate to college.
Our approved study facilities are responsible for course promotion, student recruitment and delivery of the courses as approved. Full details of the criteria applied are provided in the quality manual which will be supplied after initial enquiry.
Criteria for initial approval
We recommend that you read this before making your initial formal submission. This guidance is related to the delivery of our Certificate, Foundation Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Graduate Diploma programmes.
Meeting the standards of our Royal Charter
Our charter requires us to:
- Develop improved methods of purchasing and supply.
- Maintain high standards of skill and integrity.
- Educate, set standards and test skills.
In order to achieve this we aim to maintain and further develop our network of study centres to ensure that they provide a meritorious learning environment for our student members. This means that we will consider the quality of your staff, facilities and resources, as well as the standards of customer care you provide. You will need to be able to measure standards using visible key performance indicators in conjunction with these objectives.
You should show that you can meet the requirements set out on the page entitled 'Submitting the Approval Form'. If you would like approval to deliver one or two of the four programme levels above and subsequently wish to deliver higher levels, further submissions and visits will be required.
Initial and continuing approvals relate to the designated course tutor, course team and working accommodation. Significant changes require our approval and may result in reductions in approval levels. This is because it is the commitment and dedication of course tutors and teams that lead to achievement of excellence; a new leader may take some time to achieve the same standards.
