Quality Handbook Section 13 - Admissions requirements

2.1 The University’s application processes are designed to promote transparency and consistency. They provide equal consideration for all prospective students who apply by the relevant closing date (if applicable), or apply in good time to complete all admissions processes, and meet any relevant external regulatory requirements (including visa requirements) before the start of their course.

2.2 The University ensures all promotional materials are accurate, relevant, current, and accessible in order to provide information that will enable prospective students to make informed decisions about their options. On occasion, it is necessary to amend course titles, content or entry criteria after the details have been published and in these circumstances the University will take reasonable steps to ensure the changes are communicated to relevant stakeholders.

2.3 All courses have a comprehensive course profile on the University’s website, and where applicable a UCAS entry profile, detailing the qualifications, subject knowledge, qualities and skills required for the course along with the details of any non-academic (pre-enrolment) requirements such as the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and Fitness to Practice (FTP) checks.

2.4 All courses are required to secure a good match between the abilities and aptitudes of the potential student and the demands of the course, thus leading to the selection of prospective students who can reasonably be expected to complete their studies.

2.5 The University is committed to developing confident and ambitious graduates equipped to shape society, whatever their background. The University encourages applications from those who have the ability to benefit from the course of study by achieving the standards required for the award.

2.6 As part of the University’s commitment to widening participation and ensuring fair access, courses encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds, experience and achievements, and are committed to developing an inclusive community.

2.7 The University is provided with contextual information to supplement its UCAS data set.

2.8 The University undertakes in-depth analysis of data relating to its applicant trends and establishes statistical relationships between prior attainment and subsequent achievement of NTU’s widening participation and equality groups. As an institution, NTU recruits a diverse student body and proactively uses contextual data for targeting its outreach and retention initiatives.

Further information can be found in the University’s Access and Participation Plan

5.1 The University makes information available in a range of accessible formats.

5.2 The University has central points of contact for all admissions enquiries regarding taught courses, research degrees, further education and apprenticeship courses to ensure consistency in its advice and guidance to prospective students. The University regularly reviews the content of its website to ensure that information is relevant and up to date. It should be noted that advice and guidance are only accurate at the point given, and whilst the University endeavours to ‘future proof’ advice, this is not always possible and PSRB requirements will always take precedence.

5.3 The University offers several opportunities throughout the application cycle for prospective students to visit the University. These events are designed to enable a range of students (along with their support networks including parents, guardians, teachers and friends) to make informed decisions about the best course for them. Additional information on the student experience at NTU, including information on residential life, practical issues and individual support is also provided to inform prospective student choice.

5.4 The Admissions Team, CenSCE staff or NTU Doctoral are present at relevant Open Days and prospective student events to offer advice and guidance to applicants and other NTU staff. Where appropriate, the Admissions Team prepare briefing sheets and/or training for staff especially when significant changes are due (e.g. changes to qualifications, new qualifications coming on stream, regulatory changes etc.) ahead of such events to ensure consistency of message.

5.5 The University recognises that prospective students require information, advice and guidance in a range of different formats. The University endeavours, and takes all reasonable steps, to ensure that printed information is as up-to-date as possible. However, applicants should look to the University’s website for the latest course information including full details of course entry requirements.

5.6 The University is committed to ensuring that information on external websites is kept as up to date as possible but cannot be held responsible for information provided by third parties without the explicit consent of the University.

5.7 In the exceptional circumstances that changes are made to a course during the cycle, the School Management Team in conjunction with the Admissions Team will ensure that all prospective students are informed at the earliest opportunity of any significant changes to a course made between the time of the offer and completion of the enrolment process, and that they are advised of the options available to them in the circumstances.

5.8 On occasion it may be necessary to withdraw completely a course of study as the University deems it is no longer viable to offer that particular course. The University will contact prospective students at the earliest opportunity and where possible offer alternative options within NTU or with other providers if necessary.

7.1 Care leavers are defined as prospective students who have been in the care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday. This leads to entitlement to ‘aftercare services’ until the age of 21 or 24 if in full time higher education.

7.2 Prospective students are encouraged to indicate on their UCAS application form if they are care leavers. All applications will be first assessed for academic suitability against the agreed entry criteria for their chosen course. Once an offer is made the University’s Student Support Services will contact the prospective student where necessary for further discussion about any specific support needs.

7.3 The University is committed to developing an inclusive learning environment for all students and seeks to reduce any barriers that might confront a student with a disability seeking to study at NTU.

7.4 Disabled prospective students are encouraged to declare their support needs at application stage. All applications are assessed for academic suitability against the agreed entry criteria for their chosen course.

7.5 Once an offer is made, the University’s Student Support Services will contact the prospective student to provide information about provisions that can be made available and for further discussions about specific support requirements. This is to ensure that any necessary reasonable adjustments are in place for the start of their studies and to ensure a smooth transition into life as a student at the University. This will include arrangements for enrolment, registration and induction.

7.6 Most disabled prospective students will be admitted to a course using the same entry criteria as any other prospective student; however, adjustment to entry criteria may be made where it can be shown that a disabled prospective student will be capable of meeting the course’s learning outcomes. The University offers tailored guidance for disabled applications and this is available in alternative formats from the Disability Support Service Team.

7.7 The admissions procedure for disabled prospective students aims to ensure that:

1. applications indicating support or access requirements are given the consideration they require in an effective and timely way, taking into account the prospective students’ views and using the specialist expertise available within Student Support Services;
2. the University meets all obligations under current Equality legislation;
3. disabled prospective students are made aware that the disability information provided by them will be used as part of the process of determining any particular access and support arrangements that may be required and are given the opportunity to discuss their requirements prior to entry;
4. there is no unnecessary delay in the processing of offers;
5. any information disclosed is handled securely and confidentially whether at the application stage or any other stage of the student life cycle;
6. the University follows the necessary steps to enable the prospective student to make an alternative choice of course or institution if an offer cannot be made for reasons related to their disability.

7.8 The University is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students studying at the University, but takes additional steps in relation to those aged under eighteen years of age who are considered children in English law.

7.9 The University requires parental/carer consent before admitting any student who will be under the age of eighteen at the point of enrolment. These prospective students are therefore identified as part of the application process and both the prospective student and the parent or carer are asked to sign and return a confirmation or consent form. However, if a prospective student is living independently from their parents and can evidence their independent living status, the University will not require parental consent.

7.10 The content of some modules and courses at university can sometimes include legitimate themes, discussions or viewing of films rated 18, which could be considered of an adult nature. Where students under the age of eighteen are enrolled on a course of study, course leaders will be made aware of their presence and asked to adapt their approach as appropriate.

7.11 Students under the age of eighteen whose parent/carer is not based in the UK are required to provide details of a UK based guardian who can act as a contact in the event of an emergency. The UK based guardian can be a nominated friend or relative living in the UK, or a guardian appointed through a guardianship organisation who offer such services.

7.12 Schools are responsible for making the student’s academic tutor and course leader aware of minors enrolled on their courses and course leaders are responsible for amending content appropriately. The School Administration Managers have access to an Under 18 report on the COGNOS dashboard to help inform this process.

7.13 The details of students’ parent/guardian contact details for students under the age of 18 at the start of each academic year will be indexed on the University’s Student Record system.

7.14 It is the responsibility of the Executive Dean to ensure that prospective students whose parent or carers are non-UK based have an appropriate UK based guardian appointed from induction. Prospective students without an appropriate guardian may be withdrawn from their studies until the situation can be resolved.

7.15 Further details on safeguarding and support for minors, vulnerable adults, and other groups are available on our website: Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Policy

7.16 The University recognises that a prospective student’s pending or achieved qualifications may be affected by circumstances beyond their control.

7.17 The University understands that prospective students can experience significant interruptions to their studies due to circumstances outside of their control. These circumstances may include illness or bereavement, resulting from existing medical conditions and disabilities, or be as a result of difficult home situations.

1. For chronic (long-term) medical conditions or disabilities (including learning difficulties), the University would normally expect that reasonable adjustments would have already been put in place to support you throughout your studies.
2. For short to medium term health or personal issues, the University would expect that these types of extenuating or mitigating circumstances are reported via the special consideration processes, offered by the various Examination Board(s) or Awarding Bodies.

7.18 The University is happy to consider individual requests for exceptional mitigating circumstances, providing the request is made by the applicant or with their full knowledge/consent. Requests from third parties (including the UCAS-nominated contact) will not be considered without the explicit consent of the applicant. By exception, the University is mainly referring to circumstances that have had an ongoing impact for several months, including but not limited to:

1. the serious illness or death of a parent, sibling or partner;
2. extended hospitalisation following unexpected illness;
3. serious domestic disturbance;
4. victim of crime.

7.19 The University reserves the right to make a judgement about whether these circumstances should have been dealt with by prior mitigating processes, and whether it believes it has impacted an applicant’s education as described. In some cases, and regardless of the seriousness of the circumstances, the University may not be able to make an offer or confirm a place.

7.20 The University is unable to consider requests, including but not limited to:

1. teaching, learning or assessment irregularities (including, but not limited to, teacher absence, use of supply teachers, curriculum teaching errors, interruptions to timed assessments, transport issues travelling to assessments, and IT issues relating to work)
2. existing medical conditions or disabilities
3. common personal or family circumstances (including, but not limited to, the bereavement of grandparents, parental separation or divorce, relationship break-ups).

7.21 For a small number of students who do not meet their offer but provide strong evidence of exceptional circumstances, the University may be able to offer a place providing there is clear evidence that the student is capable of achieving the intended learning outcomes of the course and/or competence in standards required for the award. Examples of evidence will vary depending on the circumstances of the request, and may include but not be limited to:

1. Requests relating to significant unexpected illness – a medical note or letter from the student’s doctor/consultant, which must clearly state the dates the illness impacted the student’s education or assessments.
2. Requests relating to extreme personal circumstances – a letter from a third party such as a doctor, teacher or other professional (police, social worker, etc.).

7.22 The University may be unable to take into account mitigating circumstances which are brought to its attention after a decision has already been made.

7.23 All requests for mitigating circumstances must be submitted by the applicant (or with their full knowledge) on the University’s Mitigating Circumstances Notification Form, which for applicants in further education must be countersigned by the School.

7.24 By submitting a request, applicants are consenting to their information being shared with members of the Mitigating Circumstances Panel. Furthermore, where circumstances are likely to be ongoing in nature (and have not been declared as a disability previously), shared with the University’s Student Support Services, please be assured that all information is kept securely and will in no way reflect negatively on a student’s application.

7.25 For consistency, requests for consideration of mitigating circumstances for taught courses are dealt with by the University’s Mitigating Circumstances Panel, made up of the Associate Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment, Head of Admissions and Applicant Services and/or a nominated experienced Admissions Associate, and representation from the School and/or Student Support Services.

7.26 All correspondence regarding requests for mitigating circumstances will be directly with the applicant.

7.27 Where possible, students will be informed of the outcome of their request for mitigating circumstances before Confirmation (for UCAS students, the main Confirmation period is the three weeks leading up to A-level results day). However, decisions prior to receiving achieved results may not always be possible and students should check their UCAS Track or Applicant Portal for updates.

7.28 The University will make best efforts to reach a decision quickly following the receipt of the results. However, for some more complex cases, the University may require further information or the panel may need to convene to discuss the student’s case in more detail.

7.29 The University will not normally confirm applicants (regardless of the circumstances) who achieve below Confirmation or Clearing Tariff points.

7.30 The University will not normally accept requests for mitigating circumstances from applicants applying through Clearing, regardless of the circumstances.

7.31 Students applying for mitigating circumstances to be taken into account who either meet their conditions of offer, or are accepted, should make themselves aware of the University’s ‘Fitness to Study Policy and Procedure’ and ‘Crisis Intervention Policy – Students at Risk or Causing Concern’.

7.32 The University provides a limited number of Scholarships to new students and these are advertised via the NTU website and also where applicable information is sent to targeted groups of applicants (e.g. by school, residency, level of course etc.). Further information about the University’s Scholarships can be found on the University website.

7.33 Applicants will be informed in writing, of the outcome of any scholarship application and must accept the offer by the given deadline. Applicants can apply for more than one scholarship scheme; however, they would not normally be allowed to accept more than one offer.

7.34 The University recognises that the transition to University, which may or may not involve a move away from a student’s usual support networks, can be quite challenging for some students.

7.35 The targeted communications plans will keep prospective students informed of the progress of their application and with details of any relevant pre-enrolment checks they may need to complete before arriving at University.

7.36 Schools and Marketing teams will contact all new students who have accepted a place to provide them with the details for enrolment, registration, and induction. This includes providing further information about their course team, pre-reading and equipment lists, ‘Starting at NTU’ website, timetable information and Welcome Week activities. Prospective students starting at key non-standard start dates (e.g. January) will also be contacted with relevant information.

7.37 The University organises a series of transition events designed to help new students settle into the University environment. Further information about activities can be found on the Starting at NTU and International Students websites.

8.1 The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) requires all international students subject to existing UK immigration permissions, who are applying to study for a postgraduate qualification in certain sensitive subjects, knowledge of which could be used in programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) or their means of delivery, to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before they can study in the UK.

8.2 The requirement for an ATAS certificate applies to all students whose nationality is outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, irrespective of country of residence at the point of application.

8.3 A letter to support an application for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate will be issued to a prospective student on request or at the point of application. The University requires a copy of the certificate on record before the issue of a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS); therefore, the ATAS certificate will be requested as a condition of offer.

8.4 In addition to a completed application form, international prospective students will be required to submit the following documentation:

1. All relevant academic transcripts and certificates from previous studies (original copies and certified English translations where appropriate);
2. English language test results (if appropriate);
3. A reference/letter of recommendation (where a reference is required it is the responsibility of the prospective student to ensure this is sent to the University);
4. Personal statement or supporting information;
5. A copy of their current passport and any in date immigration documents (or past immigration documents showing previous UK study);
6. Prospective students who are identified as International for fee purposes will be required to pay an advanced payment of £6000 or the full fee (if less than £6000) unless they provide an official sponsorship letter for the course fees.

8.5 International applications are assessed using the same entry criteria as all other applications in addition to confirmation that English language requirements are met. Some applications may require further consideration through other assessment methods such as a telephone interview, an in-country interview, submission of written work, completion of an admissions test or alternates. Where this is the case, full details will be provided to the prospective student.

8.6 Prospective students classed as overseas for fee purposes are advised to check their immigration or visa status before applying.

8.7 The University works with a number of Educational Agents located in-country who are contracted by the University to recruit students for courses of study. The University is committed to working with agents who are well-respected, competent and knowledgeable (about the UK education system) and who have a good reputation for providing high quality students.

8.8 Educational agents are recruited according to the agreed University regulations and policy. The operation and performance of agents is regularly reviewed and agents are given explicit information about the University’s expectations of them. Agents that do not meet the expected standards, as outlined in the policy, will have their contracts terminated.

8.9 For international prospective students who apply through an Agent who has formal ties to the University, it will be assumed the prospective student’s consent has been given to send all communications to both the prospective student and the nominated Agent.

Further information

• Further information about the policy of recruitment and monitoring of Educational Agents is available on request from the University’s International Development Office (IDO).

8.10 Prospective students whose first language is not English need to provide evidence of English language proficiency. The University will normally make an assessment of a prospective student’s first language based on the information provided on the application form, including (but not limited to) country of origin, country of permanent residency and qualifications.

8.11 The standard University requirement for taught courses is IELTs 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each element (or equivalent). For all research degrees, the standard University requirement is IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each element (or equivalent). A full list of course requirements and agreed exceptions can be found on the international section of the website.

8.12 The University reserves the right to change the English Language Requirements depending on the performance of students, due to the access or availability of test centres and due to regulatory changes.

8.13 The University’s IDO staff, as well as dedicated academics, are mandated to recruit students whilst working away on behalf of the University. The recruitment may take place at, but not be limited to, organised Recruitment Fairs, Educational Agent’s Offices or through activity in conjunction with the British Council or other interested parties.

8.14 An offer made remotely from the University in the applicant’s country of residency is usually referred to as an ‘in-country offer’.

8.15 An in-country offer allows the applicant to receive an immediate offer and the application processing is fast tracked by the Admissions Team. The applicant’s details are provided to the Admissions Team who send a formal offer email and ensure that copies of the required documentation (including UKVI documents) are received and indexed on the University Admissions System.

8.16 All in country offers are subject to the same regulations as standard offer making and are checked by the Admissions Team for consistency.

8.17 Training, along with detailed documentation, is provided by the IDO to all IDO staff and academics who use this process in-country.

8.18 Advice and information on the comparability of international qualifications is compiled from a range of sources, including National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC), Educational Agents, British Council and insight from country visits. The agreed equivalences are stored centrally and are accessible for the Admissions Team and University’s IDO to access for consistent information, advice and guidance.

8.19 Applications which are referred to the School for a decision include information from this central source to help academic staff make informed and consistent decisions.

8.20 The University complies with the Home Office UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) student visa requirements (formerly Tier 4) for international students.

8.21 The University is obliged to check that all international prospective students applying to the University are eligible to study on their chosen course according to the conditions of their immigration status and/or visa.

8.22 International students wishing to apply for a student visa will be issued with a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) once they have completed the admissions process. Only prospective students, who have met all the conditions of their offer, including making an advance payment, can be issued with a CAS.

8.23 The University is required to report to the UKVI when a student holding a student visa fails to enrol on their course within the enrolment period. The University is also required to maintain up-to-date contact details for students and hold copies of all relevant passport and visa documents. Immigration documents will be collected as part of the enrolment process at the start of the course. Documents must be presented in their original format within the enrolment period. Students who fail to provide the required documents within the timescales specified will be reported to the UKVI.

8.24 The University is committed to admitting only those students who have a genuine intention to study. Where a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) compliance risk is identified, such as a high rate of visa refusals or non-enrolment from applicants resident in a specific country, the University may apply additional conditions prior to enrolment to safeguard its UKVI sponsor licence. These additional conditions may include:

1. An online interview with a University representative;
2. Linking the application to one of our contracted overseas agents;
3. Full payment of the first year’s tuition fees before a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued;
4. Withholding or withdrawing an offer or CAS where necessary.

8.25 Where an applicant has previously received a visa refusal, the University will not normally issue a new CAS. This approach protects the University’s sponsor licence and ensures compliance with UKVI credibility requirements.

8.26 A new CAS may be considered only in exceptional circumstances, and only where all the following apply:

1. The refusal was due to genuine maintenance/financial evidence issues.
2. There is clear evidence that the applicant now fully meets the requirements.
3. The refusal did not involve deception, falsified documentation, or deliberate misrepresentation.
4. The University determines that the case meets its definition of an exceptional circumstance (consideration does not guarantee approval).

8.27 Where UKVI has refused a visa due to any of the following, the University will not issue a new CAS for the same application cycle:

1. Deception
2. Fraudulent or falsified documentation
3. Credibility concerns, as defined by UKVI

8.28 Applicants may reapply in future academic years; however:

1. Any previous credibility, deception, or fraud findings will be fully considered.
2. Past findings may result in refusal of a future CAS.

8.29 Where a visa refusal is overturned through Administrative Review, it will not normally be treated as a refusal for the purposes of this policy.

8.30 The University will not issue a new CAS while an Administrative Review is in progress.

8.31 Where an Administrative Review upholds the refusal, that outcome will be treated as a final refusal and considered in accordance with this policy.

9.1 Whilst operating an admissions system committed to equality of opportunity, the University must consider the welfare of all students and staff and any possible risk to them, when considering allowing prospective students with known convictions to study on University premises.

9.2 Where an applicant applies to a course leading to certain professions or occupations exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974), such as teacher training or social work, they are asked to declare whether they have any criminal convictions, including spent convictions, that are not filtered. This is a mandatory question, and students who apply for these courses will be subject to a DBS check before they start the course. Students who apply for other courses will not be asked a question about criminal convictions as part of the application process.

9.3 All applications are initially assessed for academic suitability against agreed admission criteria for their chosen course. If a prospective student has declared a criminal conviction, the University will contact the prospective student for further information about their convictions when an offer is being considered. No further action will be taken for applicants who are not academically suitable for admission.

9.4 Students will be required to declare any unspent relevant convictions as part of the enrolment process but not as part of the admissions process (unless their course is covered by 9.2). This will be communicated to applicants in advance, to ensure that if they can declare prior to this if they wish to do so, and that there may be a risk that their place is withdrawn if they are not risk assessed in an appropriate timeframe.

9.5 At the point of acceptance, an email communication will be sent, advising that unspent, relevant convictions can be declared in confidence to disclosures@ntu.ac.uk and will be given the named contact of the Compliance Officer. Relevant convictions will be defined as:

• Any kind of violence including (but not limited to) threatening behaviour, offences concerning the intention to harm or offences which resulted in actual bodily harm;
• Offences listed in the Sexual Offences Act 2003;
• The unlawful supply of controlled drugs or substances where the conviction concerns commercial drug dealing or trafficking;
• Offences involving firearms;
• Offences involving arson;
• Offences listed in the Terrorism Act 2006; and
• Offences of human trafficking, slavery and forced labour.

9.6 Students taking part in University services, such as accommodation or the Students Union, may be asked to declare as part of this process. This will be separate to the Admissions process. Any decisions relating to information declared through any question will be in relation to the student’s suitability to participate in that particular function and not their suitability to study.

9.7 If anonymous information regarding applicants and criminal convictions is received this is treated with caution and will only be followed up if there are reasonable grounds to do so.

9.8 Applicants who are found to have intentionally omitted information about a criminal conviction from their application will be dealt with in line with our fraudulent applications process (see paragraph 6.29).

9.9 Information regarding convictions is requested for certain courses so that an application can be considered fully and will not be used for any other purpose.  The information provided will be held confidentially, however, where a prospective student applies for a course that may involve placements working with children/vulnerable adults, or the course is governed by an external accreditation body such as the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC), the information prospective students provide may be shared with the relevant placement provider prior to an offer being made. Students applying for Social Work courses will be considered by the School of Social Sciences Suitability Panel chaired by the Executive Dean of School.

9.10 Prospective students may be withdrawn if they fail to respond to requests for further information or where the University is unable to obtain information from nominated references through no fault of its own.

9.11 On receipt of further information (and providing the conviction is not spent) the application will be reviewed by a designated Compliance Officer who will determine whether it needs to be referred to the Serious Criminal Conviction Panel. For minor ‘relevant’ offences the decisions may be made by the designated admissions manager and/or Compliance Officer.

9.12 Prospective students with serious criminal convictions, usually defined by a custodial sentence (suspended or otherwise), will be referred to the Serious Criminal Conviction Panel (SCCP). The SCCP is made up of the Associate Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment, Head of Admissions and Applicant Services, Executive Dean of the admitting School, Head of Student Support Services, Student Community and Liaison Manager (who forms part of the Accommodation department) and the Chief Operating Officer and Registrar.

9.13 For students applying to NTU under the Admissions Policy but attending at another organisation (e.g. Confetti College), a senior member of staff from the relevant organisation will be consulted as part of any risk assessment process.

9.14 The Chief Operating Officer and Registrar, as the Vice Chancellor’s nominated representative, is responsible for chairing the panel and the final decisions rests with the Chair.

9.15 The University strongly believes that students entering Higher Education have a responsibility to demonstrate a change to their previous behaviours under their own recognisance. Therefore, the University reserves the right to decline applicants with relevant convictions who are still serving their sentence, who are possibly subject to probation or licence conditions or the end of their supervised period is close to their course start date.

9.16 Students wishing to appeal an admissions decision based on a criminal conviction risk assessment should do so through the appeals procedure outlined below.

9.17 For some courses, usually in the areas of health, teaching and social work, prospective students will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at confirmation but before commencement on their course. For courses requiring an Enhanced DBS check, prospective students will be required to declare all convictions including convictions, cautions, admonitions, reprimands, final warnings, bind over orders or similar, including those classified as ‘spent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 that would display on an enhanced disclosure.

9.18 Applicants who do not reside in the UK will also be requested to provide police/criminal record checks from the country in which the applicant lives.

9.19 The University will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that prospective students for courses have completed the DBS process before starting their course. Where it is unable to do so, for example, due to delays with DBS processing, a late offer or the late receipt of results, the prospective student may be allowed to commence their studies but will only be allowed to ‘conditionally enrol’ until the clearance has been received.

9.20 Students who are only conditionally enrolled will be checked where appropriate against the Barred List (on-line register of people barred from working with children or vulnerable adults) before the start of their course. Once on placement, relevant students will be subject to strict conditions of supervision by the placement provider.

9.21 Students who fail to complete the actions required to submit the form to the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service will be automatically withdrawn under the University’s Enrolment Conditions (terms and conditions 4.5) normally two weeks after the course start date (excluding Welcome Week).

9.22 Prospective students who are cleared following an enhanced DBS check will be allowed to complete the enrolment process on their chosen course providing they have met all other outstanding conditions of offer.

9.23 For prospective students whose DBS certificate contains content not previously reviewed through the ‘self-declared’ criminal convictions process (as above), the prospective student will be processed accordingly and may be referred to the Serious Criminal Conviction Panel for a suitability decision.

9.24 Prospective students who fail to declare relevant convictions, at the earliest opportunity, may be withdrawn from their course or be unable to qualify for their course of study.

9.25 Any student who gains a conviction after receiving an offer or after enrolment is required to bring this to the Universities attention.

9.26 The University uses an external company, First Advantage, to undertake all its DBS checks.

9.27 For certain professional or vocational qualifications, usually in the areas of education, health and social care, the University requires prospective students to complete a health declaration and or a medical screening questionnaire. In some cases, prospective students will be referred to an Occupational Health Unit to determine the suitability for their chosen course.

9.28 The requirement for a health and fitness assessment will be clearly outlined on the course profiles section of the NTU website.

9.29 For teaching courses students will be required to undertake checks as required by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), including but not limited to, Prohibition Order and Childcare Disqualification checks.

9.30 Students who fail to complete the actions required within two weeks (excluding Welcome Week) will be automatically withdrawn under the University’s terms and conditions (4.5).

9.31 All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

9.32 The University adheres to the guidelines and good practice of the HCPC and as such the School of Social Sciences operates a Suitability Panel for prospective social work students. Prospective students for Social Work courses with declared criminal convictions will be considered by the panel for their suitability for both the course and profession before being made an offer.

9.33 The Suitability Panel will also assess the professional suitability of prospective students with serious health issues or local social care service users as declared on the suitability declaration form completed prior to interview.

9.34 Decisions of the Social Work Suitability Panel, where relevant, will need to be ratified by the Chair of the Serious Criminal Conviction Panel.

11.1 The University is committed to the provision of an admissions service to all prospective students which is fair, efficient and transparent. However, the University recognises that there may be instances where a prospective student feels aggrieved with the University’s admissions decisions or processes and wishes to bring their concerns to our attention either formally or informally.

11.2 This Procedure is for the use by applicants applying for admission to the University (where the admissions procedure is the sole responsibility of the University) and should not be confused with the complaints procedure for students which is not open to applicants.

11.3 The University, where possible and whilst being sensitive to the concerns of the prospective student, will aim to deal with issues informally. Many issues can be dealt with appropriately in this manner and the University’s appeals procedure has been designed with this in mind.  This is not to say they will be treated with less importance and will still form an important part of the University’s regular review of its service delivery.

11.4 Any Appeal will be handled in isolation from the application and will not prejudice current or future applications.

11.5 The University will only normally accept an Appeal directly from the prospective student, unless a third party has the explicit consent to act on their behalf.

11.6 Prospective students who feel that they have grounds for Appeal should raise the matter within 10 working days’ of the last action action/correspondence or admission decision of the University.

11.7 For the purposes of this procedure an Appeal is defined as a request from an unsuccessful prospective student to review the outcome of an admissions decision and should only be submitted on the following grounds:

1. they can demonstrate/evidence that the University has deviated from its own policy, procedures and practice; or
2. further information, which was not available at the time of application, is presented to the University; or
3. there is a perception or indication that the prospective student has been treated differently to another applicant in a similar situation.

11.8 The high level of competition for some courses means that it is unavoidable that the University will disappoint some prospective students with a selection decision. It should be noted that prospective students have no right of appeal against decisions that are based on the academic or professional judgement of the University about suitability for admission. For example, academic judgement may be used to determine the suitability of prior learning (accredited or otherwise) for entry in lieu of formal qualifications, or an assessment of the suitability of subject knowledge from less traditional qualifications.

11.9 Please see the following three stages for submitting an Appeal/Complaint:

• Stage 1: request for feedback or clarification: Before submitting an Appeal a prospective student should normally contact the Admissions Office, by telephone or in writing, to request feedback or to discuss their concerns.
• Stage 2: Appeal: Before submitting an Appeal, the prospective student should ensure that they have read the grounds outlined above. An Appeal should be submitted in writing to the Head of Admissions and Applicant Services.
• Stage 3: Where the prospective student remains dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 2, the prospective student may request a review of the Stage 2 decision. The prospective student must provide clear reasons/evidence for requesting a review (for example, evidencing that information had not been in taken into account at Stage 2). The outcome of Stage 3 will be considered final and therefore the prospective student is unable to take the matter further with the University. A review can be requested in writing to the Associate Director of Global Student Recruitment.

11.10 As a minimum guideline an Appeal (Stage 2) should include the following information:

1. Prospective student name and any relevant application reference numbers provided either by the University or third parties such as UCAS;
2. Contact details;
3. Details of the grounds for the Appeal;
4. Any further information that the prospective student feels relevant to their case.

11.11 An acknowledgement of an Appeal (Stage 2) or Review of an Appeal (Stage 3) will normally be made within five working days. The Head of Admissions and Applicant Services or their nominee, will investigate in conjunction with any relevant School(s) or Department(s) and the outcome will be communicated within 10 working days from acknowledgement. If for any reason these timescales for response cannot be met, the prospective student will be updated of expected timescales within the 10 working days from acknowledgement.

11.12 Where the Appeal relates to a selection decision, and is upheld, the University cannot guarantee admissions to the academic year initially requested; however where possible an alternative point of entry may be offered.