The RACE Learning Environment

Mission Statement:

To be a world centre of excellence for training and education within the thoroughbred racing industry, offering training of the highest standard to meet the needs of the racing industry and our learners.

RACE is a registered FETAC QA Centre No. 41035B.  RACE has agreed its Quality Assurance policies with FETAC.  As a result learners and potential learners need to be informed of the following:

1.0  Diversity/Equality/ Reasonable Accommodation

RACE delivers all programmes without discrimination on the legally stated nine grounds (race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, membership of the travelling community, religion, marital status and family status) with respect to access, delivery and assessment.

In accordance with the Equal Status Act, 2000 to 2004 RACE ensures that selection procedures, entry requirements and programme content, delivery and assessment are adapted where possible to facilitate learners with a particular need, such as physical special need and/or other learners covered by equality legislation. This intervention or specific support service provided through the Education Co-ordinator, tutors and support staff facilitates the learner or group of learners to effectively participate in learning.

Any adaption of the assessment by the assessor will facilitate the learner to demonstrate their achievement of the standards without significantly altering the standard, e.g., where there are inadequacies in student literacy, the use of a scribe or video facilities can be utilised.  The adaption will amend the aspects of the assessment technique or instrument which prevent a learner’s participation in the assessment.  It is applicable where a particular assessment technique or instrument disadvantages the learner in assessment.

2.0 Access, Transfer & Progression

Access and transfer refer to entering or starting a programme of education or training with recognition of learners’ skills, knowledge or competence.

Preferred entry levels and special requirements are detailed in the learner brief and/or the module descriptor section (section 6 & 7). Learners may be requested to provide a copy of documentation to satisfy any specific learner requirements as stated.

RACE operates an RPL policy with regard to entry to, credit towards and access to an award.  Learners are requested to contact the RACE Education Office directly if they feel Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) relates to their circumstance.  This is also applicable where learners wish to transfer from/to a programme or wish to progress to a programme which is a higher level on the national framework of qualifications.

Progression refers to the ways learners can move on to higher level programmes.  Each FETAC module is allocated one or two credits.  Where applicable, associated opportunities for transfer or progress to other programmes or awards will be highlighted on the learner brief.

Where appropriate, learners will be advised in the learner brief of the criteria required for the successful participation in a programme.  These ‘Equipped to Participate’ statements detail the knowledge, skills and competence required for the programme against which learners can judge if they can participate in the programme either with support or independently.

A full listing of FETAC approved modules available can be accessed at www.racingacademy.ie

3.0 Assessment

All programmes are assessed in line with the stated assessment criteria as detailed in the relevant module descriptor.   These will be detailed in the learner brief provided at the commencement o f the course.  Should a learner wish to clarify the assessment requirements this can be achieved by either reading and understanding the learner brief, by discussing directly with the tutor, by contacting RACE Education Office directly, or by emailing education@racingacademy.ie.

The tutor also acts as the internal assessor.  The results are then subject to internal verification, external authentication and a results approval panel.  Provisional results are communicated by the tutor to the learner after internal verification subject to external authentication process and results approval process.

Approved results are issued to learners subject to the appeals process after both external authentication and results approval panel have been completed.

All programmes are assessed in a fair and consistent manner as per RACE’s agreed QA procedures with FETAC.

RACE will deal with any errors, omissions and/or deliberate acts by learners or tutors that may impact on the validity of the assessment process in a consistent, transparent and timely manner.

3.1 Submission policy

RACE procedure on Feedback to Learners outlines the centre’s submission policy as follows: Information relating to assessment of the programme is provided to all learners.  They are made aware of their responsibility in assessment by the tutor. Learners are informed of deadlines for assignments, examination dates etc. Submission of assessment material after advised dates is not permitted except in extenuating circumstances or grounds for compassionate consideration.  RACE will judge each application for compassionate consideration or extenuating circumstances on its own merit. 

Examples of circumstances under which a provider may consider giving compassionate consideration include:

• Physical injury or emotional trauma

• Physical disability or chronic or disabling condition such as epilepsy, glandular fever or other incapacitating illness of the learner

• Recent bereavement of close family member or friend

• Severe accident

• Domestic Crisis

• Terminal illness of a close family member

• Other extenuating circumstances.

Learners seeking compassionate consideration will be required to provide appropriate evidence/documentation e.g. a statement from a medical practitioner.

3.2 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is addressed in the RACE procedure on Corrective Action, and is defined as follows: “Plagiarism, to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own, to use (another's production) without crediting the source, to commit literary theft or to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source is forbidden in any assessments for programmes delivered by RACE”.  Where plagiarism is seen to have occurred, the learner is communicated to and provided with a mechanism to respond.  If the plagiarism is validated, the learner’s assessment is deemed invalid and will not be processed for certification.  All learners must submit a declaration of original work with each assessment piece.

3.3 Malpractice

RACE reserves the right to investigate and deal with any form of assessment malpractice which could impact on the validity of assessment.  Learners sign the originality declaration which declares that the work is wholly their own original work.

Examples of Malpractice include:

• Plagiarism as detailed above

• Impersonation of another learner

• Fabrication of evidence

• Alteration of results

• Wrongly obtaining secure assessment material e.g. examinations

• Behaving in any way such as to undermine the integrity of the Assessment Process

Allegations of malpractice will be investigated by the tutor within a timescale that does not disadvantage a learner against whom an unproven allegation is made.

3.4   Integrity of Assessment

RACE will ensure the integrity of assessment process with the assessor.  The role of the assessor is to evaluate learner evidence and make the assessment decision/judgement on whether the outcomes of knowledge, skill or competence, as outlined in the FETAC Module descriptor has been achieved.  The assessor will determine that the evidence is valid, reliable and sufficient to make the assessment decision.

The assessor is suitably qualified and has the responsibility for the assessment of learners.  They may be the teacher, trainer or instructor.  It can also be a workplace supervisor, manager or team leader but will have the subject matter/technical expertise.  i.e. they are proficient in the subject/technical area in which they are assessing.

In the instance of written exams the assessor will draw from a pool of questions to ensure the validity of assessment.  Learners will be advised on the allocation of marks/marking criteria in the learners brief.

4.0 Appeals Process

Learners wishing to appeal results should contact the RACE Education Office directly within 14 days of receiving results.  There is a nominal fee and the appeal will be addressed by the results approval panel who will recommend appropriate action.

The appeals process enables learners to appeal

(a) The Assessment Process, if they perceive there to be irregularities/inequality in its implementation

(b) The Assessment Result

Only approved results can be formally appealed by the learner.

The only evidence which may be presented by the learner at appeal is that which has already been submitted for assessment.  New evidence may not be added by the learner for the appeal.

Learners will be informed of the outcome of the Appeals Process within an agreed timescale.

Following the completion of the providers appeals process, the results for the learner concerned are forwarded to FETAC as the final result.  These final results are the basis on which FETAC will issue certificates.

FETAC operates a national appeals process.  This is only on the basis of:

(a) The completion of the provider’s appeals process, and

(b) Appealing the process, not the result.

FETAC only accepts appeals from the provider, RACE and will not accept an appeal on behalf of a learner until that appeal has gone through ‘due process’ within RACE’s appeals process and all opportunities to appeal with this process have been exhausted. 

5.0 Security/Learner Confidentiality

All learner records are stored securely by the centre and all information relating to learners is treated in a confidential manner.

6.0  Feedback 

6.1 Continuous feedback from learners

All learners are encouraged to provide continuous feedback on programme access, delivery and assessment.   There is a formal process upon completion of the programme and learners are encouraged to provide feedback directly to tutors throughout the programme.  Learners can also email the centre directly at education@racingacademy.ie.

An evaluation sheet is completed by each learner at the end of each programme, while verbal feedback is solicited at the end of a session. 

6.2 Feedback to learners includes the following: 

During delivery of the programme, learners will be informed of how the training material relates to the assessment. The Education Co-ordinator and tutors provide relevant feedback during programmes and on completion of assessment. RACE will monitor feedback from learners with respect to assessment to ensure they are sufficiently briefed.  

7.0 National Framework of Qualifications

The National Framework of Qualifications comprises 10 levels. It accommodates awards gained in schools, colleges, universities, workplaces and training centres from the most basic (FETAC level 1) to the most advanced (HETAC level 10) levels of learning.

FETAC has responsibility for making awards from Levels 1 to 6 on the framework (www.fetac.ie).

The Framework helps to provide clarity to employers, learners and the public on the type and level of qualifications available in Ireland.  The module descriptor and learner brief details the level of this qualification.  Courses are certified by FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) on the national framework of qualifications at levels III, IV, V or VI.    NQAI provides details of the ten levels on the National Framework of Qualifications at www.nfq.ie.

8.0 Health & Safety

RACE is committed to assuring that all programmes, assessments and related services are delivered in accordance with current Health & Safety legislation. 

At the commencement of programmes learners will be advised of all health and safety matters by the tutor.   During learner induction learners are briefed on evacuation and other safety related procedures.  Where the programme is delivered in rented or learner facilities the centre will request that the owner meets Health & Safety requirements

9.0 Learner Protection

Section 43 of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act does not apply to RACE as we are a registered charity operating on a not-for-profit basis.

However RACE is committed to providing appropriate protection for all its learners on all its programmes of three months duration or more. To ensure this we will endeavour to provide alternative learning option(s) for learners, within our service, should a programme cease unexpectedly.

 In the event that night classes offered by RACE do not proceed, e.g., due to insufficient attendee numbers, RACE will refund learners any payment made.  Furthermore, learners will be directed to other learning centres as appropriate.