A Warwickshire-based provider has been told it can no longer offer qualifications from a leading awarding organisation after it investigated allegations of malpractice.

Bright Assessing, which has boasted a pass rate of between 95 and 100 per cent, has been told it will “no longer have any involvement in the administration, delivery, assessment, moderation, invigilation and certification” of any NCFE (formerly the Northern Council for Further Education) programmes.

The findings of the NCFE investigation have not been made public, but a spokesperson for Bright said it “vigorously disputes both the findings and the sanction” and that it would appeal. He declined to comment on how the decision would affect learners enrolled on NCFE courses.

A spokesperson for the awarding organisation said it could not reveal its findings until a ruling had been made on any appeal, which had to be in by the middle of next next month. Meanwhile, Ofqual has already said NCFE’s action was “appropriate”.

In November NCFE  told FE Week  it had launched an investigation into Bright, which provides qualifications for unemployed people who want to re-enter the workplace, following complaints from learners.

The awarding organisation spokesperson said: “Following a rigorous investigation into the quality standards of Bright, we have taken the decision to permanently withdraw centre approval.

“This means that Bright will no longer have any involvement in the administration, delivery, assessment, moderation, invigilation and certification of any NCFE programmes.

“Learners are at the heart of all we do and our stringent quality assurance processes are in place to ensure that the interests of our registered learners are protected.

“We take our duty of care to them extremely seriously and will do our utmost to support them, following the removal of Bright’s centre approval.”

Krissy-Charles-Jones
Bright Assessing chief executive Krissy Charles-Jones

But a spokesperson for Bright, originally called Bright Assessing but with the registered trading name of Bright International Training, hit back.

He said: “We vigorously dispute both the findings and the sanction imposed by NCFE, and have begun a process of appeal.

“We are also seeking the opinion and intervention of the regulator, Ofqual, and will be supplying information in support of our defence.

“We have subsequently been faced with critical challenges to our business, many of which could have been avoided had NCFE met its obligation to conduct appropriate external quality assurance processes and to provide adequate advice as per their contract with Bright and as stated within their own regulations.”

He added that Bright nevertheless still planned to “extend the range of courses we offer our learners” with other awarding organisations.

An Ofqual spokesperson said: “NCFE kept us informed throughout its investigations into allegations of malpractice at Bright. We consider the action it has taken to be appropriate to protect the integrity of its qualifications and the interests of those taking them.

“We require awarding organisations to investigate any allegations of malpractice by schools or colleges.

“Where it is found to be occurring, they must take swift and effective action to protect the integrity of the qualifications. The investigation and resulting action by NCFE in this case show that malpractice will not be tolerated.

“Bright can appeal to NCFE against the decision. If, after completing that process, it still wishes to make a complaint to Ofqual, we would then deal with it in accordance with our own complaints procedures and consider the evidence.”

Appeals at NCFE are heard by an internal panel, which includes an independent expert.

It comes just a month after Bright chief executive Krissy Charles-Jones was pulled up by Ofsted over a misleading tweet and posting on her company website that appeared to imply the education watchdog had visited and given it a good grading.

But a Bright-commissioned inspection firm — Portsmouth-based private contractor Prospect Consultants — had carried out the inspection.

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19 Comments

  1. Peter Cobrin

    Can we be assured that the rigour with which NCFE has pursued its investigations extends to examining its own responsibility, since all that has happened did so on its own watch, or should there be a separate investigation by OFQUAL into NCFE?

  2. P. Davies

    Let’s hope the NCFE get held to account on this and accept a good degree of blame for their failings. Seems to be a case of the big guys using the smaller guys as a scapegoat. Perhaps their number one interest is covering their own backsides in the face of media attention, and not the well being of learners.

  3. NCFE needs investigating by Ofqual URGENTLY

    NCFE should not be allowed to get away with grading a center excellent and then when later decide they are not!

    Talk about scape goat!!!!

    Fight back Bright you will win!

  4. Anthony Barlow

    I too agree that NCFE should also be investigated by OFQUAL. However I don’t agree that it is a case of Bright, or any other organisation for that matter winning anything at the end of it all.

    The real losers in all this, through no fault of their own, are of course the learners themselves. After all this time investigating Bright, NCFE still cannot confirm that my Assessing qualification is valid. And that of course applies to several other learners. Bright have told me that they have heard nothing to the contrary, and therefore any request for retraining, would only be granted as a gesture of goodwill.

    The whole sorry episode, probably could have been prevented if NCFE had carried out regular checks of learners portfolios. NCFE no doubt would dispute that.

    The crux of the matter is that the learners have been treated abysmally by both parties. Whilst the two superpowers argue amongst themselves, the learners are left in limbo regarding the validity of their certificates.

  5. I am on my second qualification with Bright, I seriously doubt there are issues with the quality of the centre. This is about the back to work program fraught with issues, red tape and as Bright says, if NCFE had their EQA process correctly in place then we wouldn’t be discussing this at all.

  6. Disappointed Learner

    So what happens to learners who have been told they have passed and are awaiting certification??? Would love to know as I am in this position and have paid to complete this qualification ?

    • N Bibi

      I too paid fully upfront for the assessor’s course and still waiting to hear from NCFE about my certificate. I have been promised “dute to learner” by NCFE but it has now been over 4 months and I am yet to receive news on when I will receive my certification

    • I too am in this position. I have also paid to complete another course but I am reluctant to continue. My request for a refund has been ignored. My job depends on getting my certificate.`

  7. Jim Smith

    I just spoke to Bright and they have assured me that a suitable alternative is being sort (most likely OCR) and that work will continue to be marked. My mind is now at ease as I actually prefer getting an OCR qualification as prior to this I’d only heard negative things about NCFE.

  8. I urgently need clarification. I’ve paid hundreds of pounds to Bright for the TAQA course and have taken time off work on occasions to complete the assessments. I need reassurance that I’ll still be able to achieve the qualification!!!!

  9. Christopher Ellam

    I having been through a difficult time in my life and as a result of illness I was returning to work and being unemployed at the time and not really wanting to return to what I had done for the previous (11-18 science teacher, I wanted to remain in education.

    I achieved my TAQA with Bright, being a seasoned professional if some one was to ask me to put into one word what I thought of Bright course, I would respond “manufactured”. I understand that there was issues with the trainer I had for the course, if I could understand why Bright might have got complaints as if I wasn’t an experienced professional with in the field of education, I would have found it impossible to understand what the assessment criteria was never mind have any form of comprehension to what was expected.

    To be honest this was a matter of time, I saw this coming, I also think that the NCFE should be be also placed under scrutiny by the OFQAUL along with the statistics Bright boast and make public.

    A final note and for multiple failing points in the criteria I personally would grade the teaching and learning I experienced under the Ofsed judgment criteria a 4(unsatisfactory).

  10. Lyndsey warren

    I was on an nvq assessor course with bright up until last week when I get an email saying sorry the course has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances! I had a job lined up ready for me to start when I was suppose to finish the course in 2 weeks time! I am now out of pocket a job and qualification. Bright knew all this was happening and yet still are taking people on for courses and taking money with no reassurance that you are going to get a qualification! I’m sorry but bright are a disgrace and should be investigated for fraud as well malpractice!

  11. I to have paid for my assessors course last august if we are not going to get our certificates are we going to get our money back? No chance it’s a complete shambles some one at bright should do the right thing and refund hard working prople not the people who have had the course for nothing who are we holding responsible here?

    • Mark Reynolds

      I am in exactly the same position Denise and totally agree with you. I have paid out £850 plus a lot of hard work to gain a certificate. What was going to be a change of career for me has now turned into a complete nightmare. Nobody has kept me informed at Bright, how can these people sleep at night?

  12. Simon Bereit

    I have only just found out about this. I paid for my TAQA level 3 assessors course a while back and if anybody does know if I’m entitled to a refund then please get in touch. Not happy!

  13. emmanuel Atsa

    A TRAINING THAT CANT GET ME BACK TO WORK
    completed the training months ago but still cant find job which they were boasting about. The problem is the training I believe is inadequate. We had no learners to assess after the week or so training to gain the practical knowledge as teacher do.
    Iam left more frustrated than ever after completing the course as I cant still find job even a trainee role
    Am happy they are under investigation as the reality is far from what is been portrayed