| Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation | |
|---|---|
| Non-ministerial government department overview | |
| Formed | April 2008 |
| Jurisdiction | England and Northern Ireland |
| Headquarters | Spring Place, Coventry Business Park, Herald Avenue, Canley, Coventry, CV5 6UB |
| Non-ministerial government department executive | Glenys Stacey, Chief Executive |
| Website | |
| www.ofqual.gov.uk | |
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and tests in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.
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Ofqual's role is to ensure all learners get the results they deserve, standards are maintained, and their qualifications are correctly valued and understood, now and in the future.[1]
It regulates exams, qualifications and tests in England and NVQs in Northern Ireland. Wales and Scotland are regulated by each respective national government.
In September 2007 Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced that responsibility for regulating exams and qualifications would move from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to a new independent regulator.[2] The new agency was named, and details of its structure and functioning were proposed, in December 2007. It began its interim work on 8 April 2008,[1] and was officially launched on 16 May 2008 at the National Motorcycle Museum.[3][4]
The government passed legislation in the form of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009[5] that established Ofqual as the regulator of qualifications, examinations and tests in England, and this Act received royal assent on 12 November 2009.[6] Ofqual commenced work as a fully independent non-ministerial government department on 1 April 2010. Ofqual is now accountable to Parliament rather than to government ministers.
On 2 July 2010, Kathleen Tattersall OBE, the chair of Ofqual and the first Chief Regulator of Qualifications, Examinations and Assessments tendered her resignation with immediate effect.[7]
Ofqual's Chief Executive is Glenys Stacey, who was previously the Chief Executive of Standards for England. She replaced Isabel Nisbet on 1 March 2011. [8] Amanda Spielman has been recommended to become the next Chair of the organisation starting in 2011. [9]
It is situated on the B4101 road in west Coventry near Canley railway station, and a mile from the University of Warwick. It moved to Coventry in 2008 from Piccadilly in London.
It has five divisions: