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Nudge Education Policy Library

NEO — Appeals Procedure

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Operated by: Nudge Education Ltd · Version: v10.26 · Owner: Director NEO & Head of School

NEO BY NUDGE EDUCATION

Appeals Procedure Nudge Education Online

Policy OwnerDirector, Nudge Education Online & Head of School
ApprovedFor approval by the Director, NEO & Head of School under authority delegated by the Proprietor (CEO of Nudge Education Ltd) on 13 October 2026; for noting at the NEO board on 3 December 2026
Review DateAugust 2027, alongside the Complaints Policy, or sooner if JCQ or awarding organisation arrangements change
Version10.26 (supersedes 08.26)
Operating CompanyNudge Education Ltd (Company Number 10192753)
Accreditation RouteOnline Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) — accreditation in progress

What changed in v10.26. Separates clearly the decisions NEO makes (and which can be appealed to NEO) from the decisions the examination centre and awarding organisation make (which the family takes up with them, with NEO’s help). Access arrangement decisions, post-results services and awarding organisation appeals are the family’s to request directly; NEO cannot request them. The internal-assessment route is retained but conditional on a separate NEA agreement with the centre.

1. Purpose and Scope

This procedure sits alongside the Complaints Policy; together they form the school’s written appeals and complaints framework, summarised in the NEO — Appeals and Complaints Policy, which incorporates this procedure by reference. The Complaints Policy covers concerns and complaints about the school’s provision generally; this procedure covers appeals relating to examinations and assessment.

NEO’s learners sit public examinations as private candidates through an approved examination centre (Tutors & Exams), with which the family contracts directly. That shapes what can be appealed where:

DecisionMade byRoute
NEO’s advice on whether and when to enter, which specification, which tierNEOSection 3 — appeal to NEO
A mark NEO has given for internally assessed work before submissionNEOSection 4 — appeal to NEO
Whether an access arrangement is approvedExamination centre, under JCQ regulationsSection 5 — family to the centre; NEO supports
Acceptance of an entry, late entry, venue, fees, refundsExamination centreCentre’s own complaints process; see section 7
Marks, grades, post-results services, appeals to the awarding organisationAwarding organisation, via the centreSection 6 — family requests directly; NEO advises

It applies to all NEO learners taking public examinations, their parents and carers, and, where a place is commissioned, the commissioning authority acting with the family’s agreement.

2. Principles

  • Every learner has the right to fair, transparent and timely advice and assessment.
  • Appeals to NEO are handled by someone with no personal interest in the decision, wherever practicable.
  • No learner is treated less favourably for appealing in good faith.
  • Deadlines published by the examination centre, the awarding organisation and JCQ are absolute and are not extended by NEO’s status as a Learning Partner; NEO’s internal deadlines are set to protect them.
  • NEO will advise families honestly at each stage on the grounds available and the realistic prospects, so that fees are only incurred with informed consent.
  • Records of every appeal to NEO, its handling and its outcome are retained by the Exams Officer.

3. Appeals Against NEO’s Entry and Tier Advice

Advice on whether and when a learner should be entered, for which specification and at which tier is given by the Qualified Educator and Exams Officer, with the SENCo where relevant, and agreed with the learner and family. Because the family makes the application, the final decision is theirs; NEO’s responsibility is for the quality of its advice. Where a family disagrees with NEO’s advice, or believes it was given without proper regard to the learner’s attainment or needs, they may appeal in writing to the Director NEO & Head of School within ten working days of receiving it. A written response with reasons follows within ten working days and, where an entry deadline is near, sooner. The response sets out the evidence considered and, where the learner proceeds against NEO’s advice, records that fact on the learner’s file without prejudice to the support NEO provides.

4. Internal Appeals — Internally Assessed Work

Some specifications include work marked by the learner’s own teachers and submitted for moderation. Under the examination centre’s requirements a Learning Partner may only submit such work where a separate NEA agreement is in place with the centre, and the centre’s NEA deadlines are final. Where NEO offers such a route, learners are told their marks before submission and may request a review:

  1. Notification. The learner (or parent/carer) requests a review in writing to the Exams Officer within five working days of being told the mark, stating the grounds.
  2. Review. A second Qualified Educator who did not carry out the original marking, appointed by the Director NEO & Head of School, reviews whether the marking applied the awarding organisation’s criteria consistently and fairly.
  3. Outcome. The reviewer’s decision, with reasons, is communicated in writing within ten working days of the request and before the centre’s submission deadline. The mark may be confirmed, raised or lowered; the final mark is the one submitted.
  4. Escalation. If the learner believes the review process itself was not followed, the matter may be raised under the Complaints Policy.

5. Access Arrangements

Access arrangements are requested by the family from the examination centre as part of the application and approved (or not) by the centre’s Access Arrangements Team under the JCQ Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments regulations. NEO cannot request, approve, appeal or confirm an arrangement. Where a family disagrees with the centre’s decision, they raise it with the centre’s Access Arrangements Team (aa@tutorsandexams.uk). NEO’s part is to make sure the family has the evidence the regulations require: the SENCo will, at the family’s request, provide or strengthen written evidence of the learner’s normal way of working, and the Exams Officer will help the family understand what the centre has asked for. Where a family believes NEO’s own SEND identification or evidence was inadequate, that is an appeal to NEO under section 3 or a complaint under the Complaints Policy.

6. Post-Results Services and Appeals to the Awarding Organisation

After results are issued, the awarding organisation’s post-results services — clerical re-checks, reviews of marking or moderation, access to scripts and priority reviews where a further-education or university place depends on the outcome — are requested by the family directly from the examination centre, within the centre’s internal deadlines (set ahead of the awarding organisation’s) and at the published fees. Marks may go down as well as up, and the centre will require the candidate’s consent. NEO cannot make the request.

NEO’s role is to advise. The Exams Officer and Qualified Educator will, within two working days of a family sharing a result and asking for advice, say whether a review appears worthwhile and why, and will help the family make the request in time. If, after a review, the family believes the outcome is still wrong on procedural grounds or on grounds of an unreasonable exercise of academic judgement, the family may ask the centre to submit a preliminary and, if necessary, a full appeal to the awarding organisation within its deadlines; NEO will help the family set out the grounds. Should the awarding organisation’s process conclude and concerns about procedure remain, the final avenue is Ofqual’s Exam Procedures Review Service.

7. Complaints About the Examination Centre

Complaints about the centre’s services — entries, fees, refunds, venues, invigilation, examination-day administration, access arrangement handling, results administration or certificates — are made by the family to the centre (feedback@tutorsandexams.uk) under the centre’s own policy. NEO has no authority to determine the outcome of a complaint about the centre and does not act as intermediary, but will help a family set out a complaint clearly, and will raise systemic concerns with the centre through the Director NEO & Head of School under the annual Service Level Agreement.

8. Malpractice

Allegations of malpractice in examinations or assessment are not handled under this procedure. Malpractice at the examination centre is reported and investigated by the centre under the JCQ publication Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments, and the centre notifies the awarding organisation. Where NEO becomes aware of suspected malpractice involving one of its learners or its staff, the Director NEO & Head of School informs the centre promptly and supports its investigation; staff conduct is handled under the Staff Code of Conduct and disciplinary procedures.

9. Roles and Responsibilities

RoleResponsibility
ProprietorOverall accountability; final internal point of reference.
Director NEO & Head of SchoolDecides appeals against NEO’s entry and tier advice; appoints reviewers for internal assessment appeals; raises systemic concerns with the centre.
Exams OfficerFirst point of contact for all examination and assessment appeals; deadlines, records and consent; helps families make post-results and appeal requests to the centre in time.
SENCoEvidence of normal way of working for access arrangements; advice to families on the centre’s evidence requirements.
Qualified EducatorsMarking to awarding organisation criteria; participation in reviews where appointed; advice on whether a review of marking is worthwhile.

11. Review

This procedure is reviewed annually by the Director NEO & Head of School, alongside the Complaints Policy, and whenever JCQ, awarding organisation or examination centre arrangements change.

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