Ask the experts - UK college recognition
In the latest edition of our ‘Ask the experts’ feature, our Research, Data and Insights team is answering another popular question that members ask us.
This month, UK ENIC’s Research Manager Emma Kirby provides the answer to this question: do I need to check if a UK college is recognised?
It’s important to make the distinction between an awarding body and a delivery provider.
The awarding body is the organisation that develops a qualification and confers the final certificate. An awarding body may also be referred to as an ‘awarding organisation’ or, in some cases, an ‘exam board’.
A delivery provider, on the other hand, is the centre that runs a course leading to a given qualification. In secondary and further education, the delivery provider would typically be a school or college.
In some cases, the delivery provider will be referenced on the final certificate. With non-higher education awards, though, all that really matters is the status of the awarding body and the specific qualification in question.
In short: no, you wouldn’t ordinarily need to check the status of a UK school or college.
If, for example, the final certificate references 'Ofqual', then you could consult the Ofqual register to check that both the awarding body and qualification are recognised.