Diversity and Equality Policy

Vagabond Wines is committed to upholding the principles of diversity and equality in all areas of its work, seeking to ensure that all students and other stakeholders are always treated fairly and equally.

Vagabond Wines assures equality of opportunity for students by:

- Promoting open access to WSET qualifications (having regard to the legal minimum age for the retail purchase of alcohol and assessment competence standards);
- Ensuring that the format and content of all specifications, examinations and other WSET Awards materials do not discriminate unlawfully against anyone on the grounds of disability, age, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation (having regard to the legal minimum age for the retail purchase of alcohol and assessment competence standards);
- Allowing students with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access WSET assessments without changing the demands of the assessment in line with our Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration policies;
- Ensuring that this policy is considered during the development of new qualifications and other WSET Awards projects;
- To have a diversity and equality policy in place which promotes open access to WSET qualifications;
- Collating and monitoring data on candidate age, gender, ethnicity and access arrangements, which are reportable in a non-attributable format;
- Inviting feedback on diversity issues from students and other stakeholders;
- Working with relevant organisations as appropriate to develop measures to identify and prevent inequality of opportunity; and
- Reviewing this policy regularly to ensure it continues to meet legislative and organisational requirements and is fit for purpose.

Vagabond Wines assures equality of opportunity by considering applications from any organisation or individual who can demonstrate that they meet our approval criteria. We do not give any one provider exclusivity to offer our qualifications in a defined territory or region.

Note to Student

Students who believe they may have been unfairly discriminated against by an Approved Program Provider (APP) should raise this with the APP concerned in the first instance.

Examinations and Re-sits

Level 1-2 exams at Vagabond Wines

Who is involved?

Vagabond Wine Academy – As your Approved Programme Provider (APP), we plan and deliver your course and host the exams. We will also issue you with your results.

WSET – WSET is the awarding body for the qualification. They create the papers, mark the examinations, and issue the results to us. They also handle any requests for student enquiries/feedback on examination results.

What examinations am I doing?

Upon registering for a classroom course with us, you will automatically be enrolled onto the exam attached to your course. Details of the exam can be found in your booking confirmation and course programme.

All examinations have registration cut off dates, at which time we need to register students who are sitting the exams with WSET. No exams can be moved once these deadlines have passed.

You do not need to do anything to book the exam attached to your course. All students will receive an exam confirmation email, which provides full details of the exam, including location, start time, and what you need to bring.

Please note: Students attending one day classes or consecutive course will sit the exam on the final day of the course, and will find details of the exam in the course confirmation.

Unable to sit an exam?

If you are unable to sit an exam on the scheduled date, please email academy@vagabondwines.co.uk no later than 12 working days (3 weeks) prior the exam date. You can then move your exam date for an admin fee of £25. This fee covers the actions required to remove you from your current exam and register you for a new date. However, once the registration deadline has passed, we are liable for the full examination fees to the awarding body. As a result, if you advise us that you cannot make the exam after this date, or simply do not turn up for the exam, you will need to pay the full exam fee when you rebook.

What about re-sits or re-booking exams?

If you have failed an exam and wish to book a re-sit, you can do so directly with WSET Wine School following their examination calendar. Or you can do so with the Vagabond Wine Academy on the next date available. Registration for a re-sit will need to be completed at least 12 days before the confirmed exam date, and it will be at the expense of the re-sitting candidate. Please contact academy@vagabondwines.co.uk to enquire about upcoming examination dates and examination re-sit cost.

Reasonable Adjustments Policy

WSET Awards seeks to assess all students in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other students.

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the student at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. Reasonable adjustments are approved by WSET Awards and put in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the student access to the qualification. The use of a reasonable adjustment is not taken into consideration during the assessment of a student’s work.

Scope of this policy Reasonable adjustments must not give unfair advantage over students for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made or affect the reliability and validity of the assessment outcomes as detailed in the applicable specification.

Reasonable adjustments may involve:

- Changing standard assessment arrangements, for example allowing students extra time to complete the assessment activity;
- Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format;
- Providing access facilitators during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or reader;
- Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic student.

Applying for a reasonable adjustment

Vagabond Wines must identify at the time of a student’s enrolment any special needs which may require a reasonable adjustment at the time of the examination. Vagabond Wines must submit a Reasonable Adjustment Application Form to the WSET Awards at least four weeks before the examination date in the case of WSET qualifications at Levels 1-3 and at least eight weeks before the examination date in the case of the WSET Level 4 Diploma. Supporting evidence must be provided with the completed form.

The specific arrangements for the examination process itself, or for marking, will be agreed in each case between Vagabond Wines Examinations Officer and WSET Awards, and will vary according to individual circumstances. WSET Awards reserves the right to seek the advice of independent agencies as appropriate in coming to a decision on specific arrangements. Please note that Vagabond Wines can not offer reasonable adjustments to any students until this has been agreed with WSET Awards.

Students and their advisors should be aware that it is not appropriate to make requests for reasonable adjustments where the student’s difficulty directly affects performance in the attributes that are the focus of the assessment.

Vagabond Wines will keep records of all reasonable adjustment applications.

Special Condsideration Policy

Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow students who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment.

Scope of this policy

Special consideration will not give unfair advantage over students for whom special consideration is not being applied or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the applicable Specification.

A student may be eligible for special consideration if:

- Performance in an assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions;
- Alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate;
- The application of special consideration would not mislead the user of the certificate as to the student’s attainment.

Applying for special consideration

Vagabond Wines must submit a Special Consideration Application Form to WSET Awards within 7 working days of the assessment date for which special consideration is being sought. Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation.

In cases of serious disruption during the examination, the Examinations Officer must submit a detailed report of the circumstances and students affected to WSET Awards. This must be returned with the completed examination papers.

Vagabond Wines will keep records of all applications for special consideration.