This document outlines a policy for fairness in assessment at the Pre-school Learning Alliance. It explains that plagiarism and collusion will not be tolerated as they provide an unfair advantage. The policy defines plagiarism and collusion and lists specific examples that are considered cheating. It details the procedures that will be followed if a learner is found to have plagiarised, including warnings and potential removal from a course for serious offenses. The policy aims to ensure all learners are treated fairly in the assessment of their work.

1. Fairness in
Assessment
Pre-school Learning Allianceprogramme
Policy
Thispolicyexplainsthe Alliance’sexpectationsregardingavoidingplagiarismand
collusion. The proceduresexplainwhatwillhappenif learnersplagiarise.
The Pre-school LearningAlliance regards actsof plagiarismas unethical anddishonest.
Throughplagiarisingsome learnerstrytoget an unfairadvantage.
The purpose of thispolicy and procedure istomake sure all learnersare treatedfairly
whentheirevidence isbeingassessed. There are clearproceduresand penaltieswhen
plagiarismisdiscovered.
Policy review 31stJuly2015

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Fairness inAssessmentPolicy
Thispolicywill explainhowyourworkis
assessedandwhatitwouldmeanif youhand
inwork that isnot yourownideasand words.
Whydo we have this policy?
Thispolicysetsoutthe rulesusedby the Pre-
school LearningAlliance,whichmake sure
that every learnerhasthe same chance to
learnand be assessedinafair way.
Assessmentproblems
Whena piece of work is handedinto the
tutor,and the learnerhascopiedfrom a book
or from anotherlearner,this workwill notbe
herown ideas.Itisunfairbecause other
learnerswill have workedhardtodo the work
themselves. Itisalso cheatingtouse
someone else’swork,foraspoken taskas
well asa writtenone.
Here is a listof ways tutors will regardas
cheating:
 If you have copied large pieces of your
workfrom a book,the internetor
otherplacessuchas television, radio,
magazinesornewspapers,
 If you have used someone else’swork
and justchanged a fewof the words,
 If you have usedpartsfrom lotsof
booksor internetsites,thenput them
togethertomake a newpiece of work
that youhand inas your own
 If you have used a piece of workfrom
a essaybank or buy it on-line froma
web-site,andhandedthisinasyour
own
 If you hand in workthat has been
done byanotherlearner
 If you hand in workthat has been
done bya relative,friend,work
colleague oranyone else.
 If you give ina piece of workthat has
beencarriedoutwithsomeone else
or as part of a group andyou say itis
yours.
Using a false signature
Duringyour course,yourtutor or assessorwill
sign off work to show that you have passed
that part or sectionof the course. If you copy
the signaturesof staff yourself,thisis another
way of cheating and very serious, because it
means you have not passed all parts of your
qualification honestly and fairly.
Getting help and giving help to others
The Pre-school LearningAlliance expectsall
workand ideasto be yourown, it will be
considered cheatingif youhandina piece of
workand you have hadhelp fromanother
person.
Thiskindof cheatingcantake place whenyou:
 give anotherlearneryourworkto copy
from,
 workwithtwo or more learners andyou
handin work whichisthe same (evenif it
isonlyparts of it)
 had help toimprove the style orthe
wordsused(Helptoput righttyping
errors, spellingandgrammarisallowed).
If a memberof staff thinksyouhave cheated,
theywill have tofollow asetof rules. Thiswill
dependonhow seriousthe cheatingis,but

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the staff memberwill alwayshave totell the
Course Manager.
What will happenif cheatingis found?
Where tutorsor assessorsare sure that
cheatinghastakenplace, theywill have to
talkto the Course Managerwhowill decide
on whatwill happenasa result. Cheatingis
alwaystakenseriouslybecause itmeansyou
have triedto getyour qualificationinan
unfairway
Stage 1 warning
These are the ruleswhere a Stage 1 warning
will be giventoyouforcheating.
 Thisis the firsttime youhave handed
inwork where the tutoris sure that
cheatinghastakenplace
 Onlya small areaof the work handed
to the tutor isnot your own
 You have takenthe workof someone
else andchangeda fewwords
 You have usedthe wordsof others
(Quotations) andnotgiventhe
writer’sname
 You have copieda fewsentences
fromplacesand then giveninthe
workas your own.
What happensnext?
Whenthe tutor and the Course Manager are
bothsure thatcheatinghas takenplace,you
will receiveawarningfromyourtutor and a
note will be made at the TrainingCentre.
As itis a Stage 1 warning,youwill be allowed
to do the workagain andyour tutor will mark
it foryou.
A Stage 2 warningwill take place whenitisa
seriouscase of cheating
Here are a few areasof cheatingwhere the
tutor andmanagerswill thinkthe cheatingis
serious.
 You have copieda large amountof
words
 You have handedinan essayor piece
of workfromthe web-site
 You have copieda large amountof
workfrom anotherlearner
 You have cheatedinmanydifferent
piecesof workwhichyouhave given
infor markingto the tutor
 You have askedsomeone elsetohelp
youdo the work
 You have copiedandusedthe
signaturesof tutorsand/orassessors
to signoff work.

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What will happenif the cheatingis foundto
be serious?
You will be toldthata seriouscase of cheating
has takenplace.
The Pre-school LearningAlliance Training
Managers will be told. All the factsaround
the seriouscase of cheating will be brought
together. The TrainingManagerwill consult
otherseniorstaff tomake sure thatthe case is
lookedatfairly. Theywill considerall areasof
the case and here are some examples:
 How muchcheatingtookplace?
 Are there any Special Educational
Needs?
 Have you spoke toyour tutor andsaid
that youhave cheated?
 Have you involvedotherlearners?
Thisteam will be given20workingdaysto
lookat the case fairlyanddecide if the
cheatingisserious.
You will be sentacopy of all the paperwork
and askedif youwant to give the seniorstaff
your side of the case.You mustdo thisin 10
workingdays.
You will be toldwhathasbeen decided within
five daysof the team meeting.
What happensnext?
If the teamdecide thatyouhave cheatedona
seriouslevel,theycan:
 Decide thatnothingneedstohappen
 To give youa formal warningand make
sure you meetwithatutor/assessorto
have some trainingaboutthe rules
aroundmakingsure work isyour own
 Askyou to leave the course because the
tutor/assessorhaslosttrustinyou.
Appeal
If you thinkthe decisionisunfair,oryouhave
since thoughtof otherpointsthe teamdidnot
see or thinkaboutwhenmakingtheir
decision, youcanask forThe Directorof
QualityImprovementtolookatyour case.
The decisionmade bythispersonwill be the
final one.