Concern about compliance with accreditation requirements
In relation to accreditation, an approved authority for a system of non-government schools is responsible for considering any documentation provided by a member school and observations from a monitoring visit to the member school in order to form opinions about compliance with the requirements of the Act relating to the accreditation of Record of School Achievement and Higher School Certificate. When it is an authority's judgement that there are concerns that the member school might not comply with the requirements, a representative of the approved authority for the registration system should discuss these concerns with the principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate) and provide an opportunity to submit further evidence of compliance.
If, following consideration of any further evidence of compliance the member school provides, the approved authority for the system of non-government schools continues to have concerns that the member school may not comply with the requirements of the Education Act in relation to accreditation of the Record of School Achievement and/or Higher School Certificate, the approved authority will prepare a report to be forwarded to the principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate). The report must detail those accreditation requirements with which the authority has concerns that the member school may not comply and advise the school that the recommendation to be forwarded to the Registration Committee may be that the member school be placed on provisional accreditation until such time as the situation is resolved.
The principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate) should be provided with the opportunity to make written comment directly to the approved authority for the system of non-government schools regarding the report. Following consideration of the report and any written comment from the principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate), a further determination will be made as to whether the approved authority intends to make a recommendation to the Registration Committee that the member school be placed on provisional accreditation
The principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate) will be informed in writing of the intention to recommend that the member school be placed on provisional accreditation. The principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate) may seek an internal review of the approved authority's determination. The internal review will be carried out by the approved authority using persons not involved in the initial assessment of the member school's compliance with the requirements for accreditation.
If the approved authority for the system of non-government schools, following an internal review conducted by the system, is satisfied that there are concerns as to whether the school is complying with the requirements in relation to accreditation of the Record of School Achievement and Higher School Certificate, under the Act, the approved authority may recommend to the Registration Committee that the member school be placed on provisional accreditation. If the Registration Committee is satisfied that there are concerns as to whether the member school is complying with the requirements of the Education Act in relation to accreditation, NESA may issue a certificate of provisional accreditation for the school that specifies the period of provisional accreditation.
This may mean that the period of accreditation of a member school has been reduced. If the member school is placed on provisional accreditation, parents of students at the member school must be notified in writing by the member school of the provisional accreditation status of the school and the consequences of that accreditation status.
If, at any time, the requirements of the Education Act in relation to accreditation are found not to be complied with, the Registration Committee, under delegation, or, following any internal review by an Inspector, NESA, will cancel the accreditation of a non-government school by giving written notice to the principal (or equivalent) and proprietor (where appropriate) of the member school.
Evidence of compliance
The approved authority for a registration system must have in place a process, based on procedural fairness, for making a recommendation that a member school be placed on provisional accreditation. This must include a process of internal review by a person or body not substantially involved in making the original recommendation.