Academic Regulations

(for Spainwise's Trinity CertPT Courses)

There are nine sections to the Academic Regulations for Spainwise’s Trinity CertPT Courses:

  • A. Introduction
  • B. Scope of These Regulations
  • C. Pass and Fail Criteria for Spainwise Trinity CertPT Courses
  • D. Referral (Resubmission) of Assignments
  • E. Absence from the Course
  • F. Code of Conduct
  • G. Conduct Panel
  • H. Process for Appeals by Trainees
  • I. Process for Complaints by Trainees

    A. Introduction

    1. Spainwise Teacher Training is part of Spainwise SLU.

    2. Teacher training takes place at the Spainwise teacher training centre in Cordoba (Spain) and / or online.

    3. The ‘customer’ is referred to as ‘the applicant’ and ‘the trainee’ in this document.

    4. This document makes reference to, but is not the same as the Terms & Conditions for Spainwise courses.

    5. This document contains the internal academic regulations (referred to as ‘the regulations’) for CertPT courses at the Spainwise teacher training centre.

    6. The regulations contain details of pass and fail criteria for the Spainwise Trinity CertPT Course, referral (resubmission) of assignments, absence from the course, the internal code of conduct for trainees , the Conduct Panel, the process for appeals by trainees and the process for complaints by trainees.

    7. Any query about the academic regulations should be raised with the Course Manager for Spainwise Teacher Training, Mr Aidan O’Toole (info@spainwise.net).

    B. Scope of These Regulations


    1. The following documents have been taken into account when drafting these regulations:

    (i) The Trinity College London Certificate for Practising Teachers (CertPT): Qualifications and Centre Validation Requirements (from March 2020)
    (iii) The Trinity College London Academic Investigations and Appeals Policy
    (iv) The Trinity College London Complaints Policy

    2. These regulations formed part of Spainwise Teacher Training’s original course proposal documentation. As such, they are subject to review by Trinity College London on completion of each course.

    3. If in any instance these regulations conflict with any of Trinity College London’s policies with respect to Cert PT courses, direction will be taken from the latter over the former.

    C. Pass and Fail Criteria for Spainwise Trinity CertPT Courses

    1. The CertPT is an accredited, certified qualification at level 6 on the UK’s National Qualifications Framework. The awarding body is Trinity College London, and the qualification is regulated by Ofqual.

    2. To pass the CertPT participants must achieve a mark of between 8 and 16 (out of 16) for each of the following four assignments:

    (1) Evaluation of a resource used
    (2) Rationale for an adapted resource
    (3) Rationale for an original resource
    (4) Reflection on use of a resource

    3. Course participants will have the option of completing the four assignments entirely in English or a mix of English and Spanish.

    4. The suggested word count for each assignment is 750 words for assignments in English or 900 words for assignments in English and Spanish.

    5. The maximum word count for each assignment is 1,000 words for assignments in English or 1,200 words for assignments in English and Spanish.

    6. Where the mark is under 50% of the total mark (64) and if one, two or three tasks receive a mark of less than 8/16, ie the task does not ‘pass’, the candidate is referred.

    7. Where the mark is 50% or more of the total mark (64) and if one, two or three of the four tasks are not passed, ie achieved less than 8/16, ie the task does not ’pass’, the candidate is referred.

    8. If all four of the four tasks are marked less than 8/16, ie the tasks don’t ‘pass’, the candidate fails the qualification.

    9. Trainees are provided with the criteria which Spainwise Teacher Training uses to assess completion of requirements. These requirements are also explained during training sessions and tutorials.

    10. In the case of candidates who have been referred, only one resubmission attempt is permitted and must be completed within 4 weeks of the original moderation.

    11. If two or three tasks failed to pass (achieved less than 8/16 each) in the original moderation, they must all be submitted for resubmission moderation at the same time.

    12. If any task is not passed after a resubmission moderation and remarking, the CertPT cannot be awarded for this set of work.

    13. Resubmissions are revisions of the original task rather than the submission of a new task.

    14. Successful trainees can expect to receive their certificate from Trinity College London (via Spainwise Teacher Training) approximately 4 weeks after a result/decision has been confirmed by Trinity College London.

    15. If an assessment is still below pass standard after the referral process, this will result in course failure as Trinity College London does not allow a referred assessment to be referred more than once.

    16. A decision of the Conduct Panel may result in immediate course failure, or suspension (and exclusion) from the course until a decision by Trinity College London is received (see sections F and G below).

    17. Unauthorised absence (see section C.1 (ix) and section E will be referred to the Conduct Panel and can, therefore, also result in course failure (see section C.2 (ix) and section E below).

    18. Decisions to re-enrol trainees after failing a CertPT course are exceptional, and will be made on an individual, case-by-case basis. If re-enrolled, the re-enrolled trainee will need to pay the full fees applicable to that course at the time of application, and complete all requirements of the CertPT, given in section C.2, as if for the first time. If the Course Director at Spainwise decides to offer re-enrolment, this will be communicated in writing. There will be no obligation to give reason, written or otherwise, why a trainee would not be re-enrolled having failed a CertPT.

    19. A reference letter from Spainwise Teacher Training will usually be offered only to trainees who have passed the CertPT course.

    D. Referral (Resubmission) of Assessments

    1. Referral is the process of resubmission of assessed work. The process is administered by (and the referred work is assessed by) Trinity College London and not by Spainwise Teacher Training.

    2. Referral amounts to a four-week extension. The expectation will be that the trainee will use their own notes from the course to assist themselves. Spainwise Teacher Training will not review, comment on or support any ‘drafting’ within the four-week extension period. Trinity College London, not Spainwise Teacher Training, will decide on whether the assessment has met the pass standard.

    3. Spainwise SLU will not be liable for any expenses incurred by trainees as a result of referrals.

    11. Trinity College London alone decides the outcomes for all referred work. Trainees are advised that it may take up to three months to provide Spainwise Teacher Training with a decision in referral cases. Any breach of this time limit is the fault of Trinity College London and not Spainwise Teacher Training. Referral will always delay the delivery date for a Trinity CertPT certificate.

    12. Grading for referred work is capped at the pass grade.

    13. The referral process will involve additional costs for trainees. The additional costs depend on the number and type of referrals (see Terms & Conditions).

    E. Absence from the Course

    1. Trainees may only be absent for 10% of the training sessions on the course.

    2. Absence must be authorised, i.e. notification must be received in writing before the trainee is expected to arrive on the day of the absence.

    3. If a trainee is absent for more than 10% of the training sessions, the trainee will be referred to the Conduct Panel.

    4. A trainee who is absent for more than 10% of the training sessions may need to attend any missed training sessions on a subsequent course before receiving the Trinity CertPT certificate, if the Conduct Panel decides on this action.

    5. Any action proposed by the Conduct Panel when dealing with a trainee who has been absent for more than 10% of the training sessions will be confirmed with Trinity College London.

    F. Code of Conduct

    1. Trinity College London has a comprehensive malpractice policy, both for validated course providers, like Spainwise Teacher Training, and trainees. The most important details are listed here:

    (a) Trinity will not tolerate any cheating, unfair practice or breach of its rules and regulations. Candidates found to have committed or attempted to commit any of these will be disqualified automatically. Similarly, course providers found to have engaged or colluded in malpractice or to have committed serious or repeated maladministration will be de-registered and affected candidates will have their marks voided.

    (b) Examples of malpractice by course providers include …

    (1) encouraging trainees to falsify accounts of classroom experiences

    (2) failing to act on recognisable examples of plagiarism by trainees

    (3) severely misrepresenting volume and quality of resources available to trainees

    (4) misrepresenting costs of courses and related services and/or refunds

    (5) mishandling receipt of payment from trainees, especially via credit cards

    (6) holding back Trinity certificates from trainees for whom they are intended

    (7) changing course content, timetable or staffing significantly without seeking approval from Trinity and informing trainees as appropriate.

    (c) Examples of malpractice by course participants include …

    (1) falsifying accounts of classroom experiences

    (2) damage or theft of resources owned by the training provider

    (3) plagiarism: the excessive copying by trainees of other people’s ideas and/or words in the production of written and practical work, and misrepresentation of it as their own; this must go beyond the normal sharing of common ideas.

    (d) In addition to Trinity’s policy on malpractice and maladministration, course providers are contractually bound to adhere to Trinity’s other policies and procedures, including on data protection and security, appeals, conflicts of interest, and bribery and corruption. Please note that these policies are reviewed regularly and subject to periodic change. The latest versions of the policies can be found in the policies section of Trinity College London’s website.

    2. Spainwise SLU also has internal regulations related to both academic conduct and general conduct. These are outlined below:

    (a) Where appropriate, Spainwise Teacher Training will always try to resolve issues related to conduct informally, in the first instance.

    (b) Common example of academic conduct issues would be plagiarism of texts from another source and cheating (or attempting to cheat) in a written assessment either by copying another candidate’s work or work from elsewhere.

    (c) If a trainee is suspected of academic misconduct, the matter will be referred to the Conduct Panel (consisting of the Course Director, the Course Manager and a Course Tutor). Trainees will be permitted to continue on the course until a decision has been reached by the Conduct Panel. If the matter is referred to Trinity College London, trainees will be permitted to continue with their work, but with the understanding that Trinity College London may ultimately refuse to confer the award of Trinity CertPT upon them.

    (d) If a trainee behaves in a way/ways that repeatedly upsets the harmony of the course and/or the training centre, this will be seen as general misconduct by Spainwise Teacher Training. The matter will also be referred to the Conduct Panel and trainees will be suspended from the course until the Conduct Panel has reached a decision.

    (e) To avoid undue risk of trainees not meeting the minimum attendance requirements for the course, the Conduct Panel meets within 2 working days of any matter referred. Trainees will, therefore, be offered a same-day, or next working day Panel meeting. If the matter is referred to Trinity College London, the trainee will be suspended from the course until they reach their decision.

    G. Conduct Panel

    1. The Conduct Panel is internal to Spainwise Teacher Training.

    2. Trainees are expected to attend the Conduct Panel hearing, and to provide any supporting evidence to their Course Director, for the Panel’s consideration, at least an hour before the Panel meets.

    3. Trainees must represent themselves. If the trainee wants any other form of representation or advocacy, the Conduct Panel will be required to immediately refer the matter to Trinity College London.

    4. For trainees on full-time CertPT courses, a quick decision is preferred. The Panel will therefore aim to meet with the trainee within 2 working days. On a part-time CertPT course, the Panel will aim to meet within 2 weeks.

    5. The Conduct Panel’s purpose is to:

    (a) Collect and evaluate evidence in cases of academic misconduct, deciding whether to drop the enquiry or refer it upwards to Trinity College London, who may authorise the Panel to take immediate action.

    (b) Report any dealings with trainees to Trinity College London.

    6. The panel will be composed of the Course Director, a Course Tutor and the Course Manager.

    7. Trainees are advised to read Trinity College London’s malpractice documentation as it is likely that Spainwise Teacher Training will refer any matter to Trinity.

    H. Process for Appeals by Trainees

    Anyone who wishes to question their assessment result should refer to Trinity College London for full details of Trinity’s results review and appeals process

    2. Course participants are advised to check thoroughly to make sure they have permissible grounds for appeal, before making any submissions.

    I. Process for Complaints by Trainees

    At Spainwise, we recognise that concerns, if they arise, will probably be raised informally, often verbally, and, therefore, can be dealt with quickly. An informal approach is appropriate when it can be achieved. But if concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed (see below).

    Informal Complaints

    While we trust you will enjoy and benefit from your course, in the event of any problems or concerns, the Spainwise CertPT complaints procedure is as follows:

    1. In the first instance, please approach a tutor to share your complaints and concerns.

    2. If you feel any issues remain unresolved, please approach the course director (Gabby Hewitt).

    3. If your problem remains unresolved, please approach Aidan O’Toole, the Course Manager (info@spainwise.net).

    Formal Complaints

    If your dissatisfaction continues, the option exists to lodge a formal complaint either with Trinity College London (if your complaint relates to the exam board) or with Consumo, the Spanish consumer protection watchdog (if your complaint relates to Spainwise Teacher Training).

    (a)Trinity College London: The areas which Trinity College London is able to respond to (including the complaints policy, the appeals procedure for appeals in relation to the assessment of assignments, as well as Trinity’s malpractice policy’) are listed in the ‘policies’ section of Trinity College London’s website.

    (b) Spainwise Teacher Training: There are some areas which Spainwise is solely responsible for and on which Trinity College London is unable to comment. If you are not satisfied with Spainwise’s response to your informal complaint, you can register a complaint with Consumo, the Spanish consumer protection watchdog (ask the Course Manager for the complaints form). Appeals relating to the assessment of internally marked work need to be made in writing to Spainwise within one working day of the disputed result. The work will be reassessed by another tutor within two working days and a definitive result issued within three working days. A fee of €50 will be charged in advance for each item of internally-marked work which is appealed. The fee is non-refundable unless the appeal is upheld.
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