Short on time?
This policy in 60 seconds
- Who it is for: learners completing a TTT qualification and the staff who claim certificates.
- Certificates are issued by the awarding organisation, not by TTT, once the IQA has signed off your portfolio.
- We claim within 10 working days of sign-off and pass the certificate on within 7 calendar days of receiving it. Expect 2–3 weeks from completion.
- Digital certificates are free. A physical or duplicate certificate costs £54 including VAT.
- We may hold a certificate for unpaid fees or an open malpractice case, and we will tell you why in writing.
The full policy below is the official version.
1. Purpose
This policy sets out how TTT claims, issues, replaces and, where necessary, revokes qualification certificates. It ensures that every certificate TTT is involved in issuing reflects genuine achievement, is released promptly to the learner and is handled with the integrity required by Ofqual and the Awarding Organisations with which TTT is registered.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- All qualifications and units claimed through TTT
- Certificates issued by Awarding Organisations following a TTT claim
- Any TTT-branded unit certificates or statements of achievement issued directly for short courses not mapped to a regulated qualification
- All learners and all staff involved in the certification process
3. Definitions
The following terms carry the meanings given throughout this policy.
4. Policy Statement
TTT is committed to the following principles and commitments.
- 1A certification claim is only submitted after every Assessment Criterion has been achieved and pre-certification IQA sign-off is complete, in line with the Assessment Policy and the IQA Policy.
- 2Every claim is authorised jointly by the Centre Manager and the Lead IQA.
- 3Claims are submitted within 10 working days of the pre-certification sign-off or sooner where the Awarding Organisation requires it.
- 4Certificates received from the Awarding Organisation are checked against learner records on arrival and issued to learners within 7 calendar days of receipt.
- 5TTT does not alter, amend or copy any Awarding Organisation certificate and stores unissued certificates securely.
- 6Errors identified on any certificate are reported to the Awarding Organisation immediately and, where caused by TTT, corrected at TTT's expense.
- 7Certification is held where a learner has an outstanding fee, undischarged sanction or pending malpractice investigation and is communicated clearly to the learner in each such case.
- 8Where certification is revoked following upheld malpractice, TTT cooperates fully with the Awarding Organisation's certificate recall process.
- 9Certification records are retained for a minimum of three years or longer where the Awarding Organisation requires it.
5. Roles and Responsibilities
6. Claim Process
7. Unit Certification
Where a learner withdraws or is unable to complete a full qualification but has achieved one or more complete units, TTT offers the learner the option of a unit certificate. The same pre-certification IQA and authorisation requirements apply, proportionate to the unit scope. A small administrative fee may apply as published in the Fees, Refunds and Cancellation Policy.
8. Replacement Certificates
Learners who lose, damage or need a replacement of an Awarding Organisation certificate should contact TTT. TTT supports the learner in applying directly to the Awarding Organisation, which issues any replacement. Timescales are set by the Awarding Organisation. A physical or duplicate certificate costs £54 including VAT, as set out in the Course Terms and Conditions. Where the error is TTT's (for example, a misspelled name originating from a registration error), TTT meets any replacement fee and coordinates the correction.
9. Errors on Certificates
On receipt, the Course Coordinator checks each certificate against learner records. Any error is reported to the Awarding Organisation within 7 calendar days. The incorrect certificate is retained securely pending instruction from the Awarding Organisation and is not issued to the learner. A corrected certificate is issued in line with Section 6, Stage 7.
10. Holding Certification
TTT may hold certification in defined circumstances, set out in writing to the learner in each case:
- An outstanding course fee or unpaid employer invoice
- An active malpractice investigation under the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy
- An undischarged sanction that affects the qualification outcome
- A pending appeal under the Appeals Policy
Holding must not be used as a means of pressure outside these circumstances. Once the underlying reason is resolved, certification proceeds without further delay.
11. Revocation and Recall
Where upheld malpractice or maladministration affects a previously issued certificate, the Centre Manager notifies the Awarding Organisation and cooperates with the recall process. The learner is informed in writing of the revocation, the reasons and any right of appeal. Recalled certificates, where returned, are destroyed securely and the action is logged. The change is reflected in the Certification Log, the learner file and, where applicable, any public verification records.
12. TTT-Issued Unit Achievements for Short Courses
For short courses delivered by TTT that do not map to a regulated qualification, TTT may issue a branded Statement of Achievement. These statements:
- Are clearly labelled as TTT-issued and do not imply regulated status
- State the course title, duration, Learning Outcomes met and date of completion
- Are signed by the Centre Manager
- Are issued only after assessment-level requirements defined in the short-course plan have been met
- Are subject to the same records and revocation principles as regulated certification
13. Records and Retention
TTT retains the following for a minimum of three years after certification or longer where the Awarding Organisation requires it:
- Pre-certification IQA sign-off
- Certification claim records
- Certificate arrival and issue logs
- Replacement, error, hold, revocation and recall records
- TTT-issued Statements of Achievement and associated records
Records are held securely in line with the Data Protection and GDPR Policy and the Data Retention and Disposal Policy.
14. Monitoring and Review
This policy is reviewed annually by the Centre Manager as part of TTT's self-evaluation process. Interim reviews are triggered by Ofqual or Awarding Organisation changes, significant incidents or systemic issues identified in certificate errors, delays or holds. Certification data is analysed monthly. All outcomes are recorded in the Version History at Section 16.
15. Related Policies
This policy should be read alongside:
16. Version History
17. Approval
This policy has been reviewed and approved by the Centre Manager of TTT.
© 2026 The Teacher Trainer Ltd
← All policies and procedures