ESL Late Submission Policy

A legal disclaimer

1. What is the ESL policy on the late submission of coursework?

The Centre operates a uniform Course Deadline policy on late submission of coursework for Teacher training & Portfolio based courses: Each piece of coursework must be submitted by the deadline published in the website or set by the course tutor and learners in the class or by the centre / department in order to gain a mark. Work which is submitted after the deadline will be given a mark of zero. This policy has successfully operated in some courses within our Academy for several years. The policy is, in fact, designed to help you develop your study skills and, very importantly, to prevent you from suffering a work overload at the last minute or not achieving the qualification at all. It is at the discretion of the centre to comment on work submitted later than the deadline, for formative feedback only (that is, no formal marks will be awarded). However, there may be occasions when you are unable to undertake, complete or hand in a piece of coursework due to circumstances beyond your control (extenuating circumstances). The Centre has put in place policies for dealing with such extenuating circumstances.

2. What does the ESL define as “extenuating circumstances for late submission of coursework”?

Extenuating circumstances in relation to the late submission of coursework are formally defined as the inability to submit work by the deadline due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, of a medical, practical or personal nature which affects the student for the period immediately preceding the time of the deadline. Genuine emergencies and circumstances which could not reasonably have been expected will be accepted as extenuating. If you have experienced extenuating circumstances immediately around the time of the deadline, which prevent you from submitting your work by the deadline, you should submit your late work within 7 days (including weekends and/or bank holidays) of the deadline date with documentary evidence such as: Medical admission reports, Letter from GP etc. Your Late Submission of Coursework will then be considered by the centre

3. What circumstances are NOT taken into account?

You should note that extenuating circumstances claims for marks instatement will only be considered in cases where you were unable to hand coursework in or attend coursework tests/presentations due to a circumstance or event that could not reasonably have been anticipated. The following are examples of circumstances which are NOT considered to be relevant for the instatement of marks due to failure to meet a deadline:

Minor ailments and illnesses on the day of coursework submission (such as colds, coughs, sprains, headache).
Personal disruptions or events which could have been anticipated; such as holidays, weddings, changing address or employment, religious holidays or festivals which are usually known in West.
Study-related circumstances; such as computer failure, printing problems, unavailability of books, photocopying problems, as these problems should be factored into the organisation of your work load.

4. What documentary evidence do I need to provide?

a) Circumstances of a non-medical nature You should, if possible, submit appropriate third party evidence to support your claim. We realize that in some cases it may be difficult to do this, and Committees may accept claims which are not accompanied by documentary evidence. However, lack of third party evidence may weaken your claim. It is up to you to get this evidence, as the Centre will not seek it on your behalf. The Centre reserves the right to check on the validity of the document(s) you submit by contacting the third party directly.

b) Circumstances of a medical nature In the case of circumstances of a medical nature, please note that medical certification is not always necessary for this form of extenuating circumstances claim, and the Health Centre, and indeed most doctors, will not issue medical certificates either for short-term or minor illnesses or during the year for single items of coursework. The Centre is concerned with evidence of the inability to complete and/or submit your work, rather than the nature and degree of the medical condition.

5 False Claims

You should note that submitting a false claim or false documentation is a serious matter and would be regarded as an attempt to gain unfair advantage. This would be an academic offense and would

be dealt with under the Academic Offences Procedures. The Centre reserves the right to check on the validity of the document(s) you submit by contacting the third party directly.

6 Data Protection Act 1998

By submitting an extenuating circumstances form you are agreeing to the Centre holding this personal data for the purposes of processing your claim. The Centre will hold this data in accordance with its notification under the 1998 Data Protection Act.

7 Disability Discrimination Act 2005

If you are providing information about your disability on your Late Submission of Coursework Form or your Extenuating Circumstances Form, please note that this does not count as disclosure to the Centre as these forms are intended for use only by the Centre. We strongly urge you to disclose any persistent medical condition, specific learning difficulty or disability to the Centre during enrolment time.

8. Additional fee:

If the centre is satisfied with your reasons for late submission, we will accept your work after the deadline date but a late submission fee of £25.00 per week will apply.