Business School England
Assessment and Feedback Policy
Introduction and Aims
1. The school strategy states that the school “will implement a coherent and coordinated approach
to assessment on all our programmes” and “enable students to maximise their potential through
assessment accompanied by high quality, timely, and forward-looking feedback”.
2. The aims of the policy on assessment and feedback are to provide a framework for:
a. Designing, writing and reviewing assessments and to ensure a common understanding
of the purposes of assessment and feedback.
b. Ensuring consistent and equitable arrangements for the submission and recording of
summative assessment.
c. Ensuring the provision of effective and timely feedback on assessed work.
d. Ensuring the timely and efficient disclosure of marks and retention of all assessed work.
e. Ensuring inclusive practice in assessment and feedback, ensuring all students are given
the opportunity to succeed.
3. The school is committed to continued enhancement in assessment and feedback practice,
grounded in evidence and research into pedagogical effectiveness. The school will provide
support and development opportunities for all teaching staff to improve and enhance
assessment and feedback.
4. This policy was developed and approved in the 2021 academic year and minor modifications to
the policy and implementation dates were approved in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic
years.
Scope
5. This policy applies to all assessed work which contributes to an undergraduate or postgraduate
taught programme of study. Exemptions from the policy may only be granted by faculty
Learning, Quality and Standards Committees. Exemptions will normally relate to specific and
required professional, statutory, and regulatory body (PSRB) requirements and must be
evidenced in writing. The principles underpinning this policy will apply to onlinedistance
programmes where possible. Requirements Purpose of assessment
6. Assessment at the school will have the following purpose:
a. To enable students to excel in their chosen discipline and contribute to their learning
and development.
b. To develop students’ knowledge and skills and readiness for the world of employment
and contribute towards achieving the Graduate Attributes.
c. To enable students to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the objectives of their
programme of study and have achieved the standard required for the award. Structure
of assessment
7. Assessment will be planned and coordinated across the duration of a programme and tested and
interrogated to ensure that each piece of assessment adds value to student learning.
8. The programme approval and Annual Programme Review (APR) process shall ensure that
programme assessment is compliant with this policy. Programmes shall evaluate their alignment
with this policy and good practice in assessment on an annual basis.
9. Programmes will ensure that a variety of assessment methods are used and that assessments
are authentic, relevant to the desired learning and graduate outcomes and assess skills and
knowledge that are worthwhile and meaningful.
10. Assessment shall be part of the school’s efforts to create an inclusive and diverse curriculum.
Staff shall aim to ensure that assessment outcomes are equitable, utilising the school’s inclusive
curriculum project, and review the structure and content of assessment where outcomes and
attainment are unequal.
11. Modules shall adhere to the requirements on minimum and maximum quantities of summative
assessment. To manage workload for both students and staff, further ‘splitting’ of assessments
into parts will not be permitted.
12. All summative assessment types will be preceded at some point within a programme by a
formative exercise, which has a significantly lower demand than the summative work and does
not affect the student’s module outcome, but which is an enabler for the summative work and
followed by detailed feedback. Formative activities which engage students in learning and which
support preparation for the summative assessment will be included for each module.
13. Group assessments can be used as effective practice. However, in the final year of a programme,
all summative grades must be individual.
14. Normally, all uploaded coursework will be submitted via Turnitin/Moodle by 9pm on a working
day. Work that cannot be submitted digitally will be submitted by 3pm on a working day to the
relevant faculty office, accompanied by a header sheet. Header sheets will be created by module
leaders and made available via Moodle.
15. Where appropriate, a student inclusion plan will indicate where reasonable adjustments can be
made to assessment. Academic staff must comply with the requirements of a student’s 3
inclusion plan.
16. In the rare case of unavoidable exceptions to the requirements specified, module handbooks will
provide clear and transparent information on the assessment components including their length
and weighting.
Marking assessments
17. All marking shall be informed by clear marking criteria. On coursework assessments, markers will
provide students with a descriptor of performance for each marking band against each marking
criterion, using a customised rubric. The customised rubric should be provided to students along
with the assessment brief.
18. Assessments must be submitted anonymously, except for those that require face-to-face
involvement meaning anonymity is not possible (e.g., where student work is evaluated in ‘crits’,
assessment of artefacts, staging, clinical practice, practical skills tests, presentations). Where
students’ work cannot be submitted anonymously, double marking (i.e., moderation of all
scripts) must be undertaken. For dissertations and final year projects, it is normal practice for
blind double marking to be used.
19. Programme awarding bodies must consider students’ final awards anonymously.
20. Criteria-based coursework assessments shall use the step-marking system (i.e., only marks
ending in 0,2,5,8 should be used). This does not affect assessments that are marked on a
discrete numerical scale (where marks are allocated per question) or on a pass/fail basis (e.g.,
assessment of competencies).
21. All marking and moderation of marking shall be conducted in accordance with the school’s
Academic Regulations for Taught Awards and completed within fifteen working days of
submission of the work. All summative assessments must be subject to marking moderation.
Feedback on assessment
22. Feedback will be provided on all coursework assessments. It will be of sufficient quality and
quantity to facilitate student learning and will provide feedforward that can be applied to the
next assessment.
23. Feedback will be provided within fifteen working days of submission to assist learning and
performance in future assessment. The date and method of feedback will be stated in the
module handbook.
24. In addition to providing a descriptor of performance based on the marking rubric (see point 17),
staff must use the feedback pro-forma as a basis for providing feedback that is constructive and
developmental.
25. Markers on a module/programme team should agree a consistent approach to any additional
feedback processes (e.g. comments on script, exam feedback).
Referencing policy
26. Disciplinary areas will have a diversity of approaches to referencing and bibliographies, however,
programme leaders will ensure that a consistent approach to referencing is taken across a
programme. This should also apply consistently on joint and combined honours programmes.
27. Normally, referencing will be conducted in the Harvard style. Where marks are allocated for
referencing, this should count for no more than 5% on any single piece of work. Implementation
28. The school will seek to utilise the latest learning technologies and internet systems to facilitate
consistent, smooth, sustainable, and user-friendly submission, marking and feedback on
assessment.