Appeals policy

The qualifications offered by the Food Business Unit are assessed by multiple choice or combination of multiple choice and written examination papers which are externally set and marked by the awarding body. Any appeals surrounding the results of these examinations must be submitted to Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance.

Learners can appeal by writing to Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance within 10 working days of the result or assessment decision, setting out clearly what they would like Highfield to consider and the grounds to support the application.

The Food Business unit can make a request for an enquiry about a result or assessment decision on behalf of a learner. However, consent from the learner would need to be provided within the published time periods before Highfield would take it forward. This request regarding an assessment decision must be submitted to Highfield within 10 working days of the date that the result was released. Failure to do so is likely to result in the matter not being progressed any further.

On receipt of a valid request for an enquiry into a result or assessment decision, Highfield would undertake a clerical check of the work undertaken to consider whether any decision had been applied incorrectly by Highfield.

Highfield would endeavour to respond to a valid enquiry within 10 working days of receiving the submission.

The possible outcomes of an enquiry into a result or assessment decision are:

• no change to the results or assessment decision
• a change to the results or assessment decision (it is important to note that the decision could be either positive or negative)

The fee for making an enquiry into a result or assessment decision is currently £50 plus VAT. This could change from time to time at Highfield's absolute discretion. Please note this fee must be provided to Highfield within 10 working days of the date that the result or assessment decision was released. In the event that the fee is not received within this 10 working day time frame, Highfield reserves the right not to take it forward.

In the event that the outcome of the enquiry into a result or assessment decision results in a positive change for the learner, the fee would be refunded in full.

If, following an enquiry into a result or assessment decision, an interested party remains unsatisfied, consideration should be given to raising an appeal in accordance with the structure set out in the following section.