By Legal Futures Associate The College of Legal Practice
The College of Legal Practice is delighted to announce that it has successfully been awarded New Degree Awarding Powers (NDAPs) by the Office for Students (OfS).
The College is one of only a few institutions who successfully gain Degree Awarding Powers every year, it can now be considered a fully accredited postgraduate Law School alongside recognised and established institutions, albeit delivering training in a very different and dynamic way.
This achievement evidences the high standard of their teaching and learning and the effectiveness it has demonstrated in running the organisation. It gives greater confidence to both students and organisations alike that the College puts students first, and that they are here to stay for the long term.
Good news for students
Most importantly, the College can now offer an LLM in Legal Practice that includes preparation for the SQE. This Masters of Law programme unlocks access for students to government-backed Masters Loans for up to £11,570.
The College’s LLM is priced at £6,900, and with the Kaplan’s SQE exam fees at £3,980, the student loan can cover the full cost of both the training and the exam fees. This opportunity to support students with their studies was an important factor in the College’s decision to apply for Degree Awarding Powers.
First fully virtual training provider to secure NDAPs
The College is the first fully virtual training provider that has been awarded NDAPs through the current system, demonstrating that virtual learning, if designed and delivered in the right way, can deliver excellent teaching and outcomes for students. The College argues that their individual supervision and teaching by expert practitioners delivered digitally and at a lower cost is better than any classroom environment.
What does having New Degree Awarding Powers mean?
Being awarded New Degree Awarding Powers means that the College has demonstrated to the Office for Students, the regulator for Higher Education providers in England, that they have:
- Strong academic governance
- High academic standards and quality assurance processes
- An appropriately trained and skilled academic team to deliver degree level courses.
- A foundation to enable student development and achievement
- Robust monitoring and evaluation systems and processes.
- A real and meaningful commitment to access and participation
The Quality Assurance Agency, who ran the assessment, were satisfied that The College of Legal Practice is a self-critical, cohesive academic community with a clear commitment to the assurance of standards supported by effective quality systems.
Dr Giles Proctor, CEO of The College of Legal Practice, said:
“The College of Legal Practice’s mission is to develop excellent legal professionals through personalised and flexible learning. Our status as a New Degree Awarding Powers Law School cements our position alongside the best in the legal education market.
We care passionately about supporting students to achieve their career aspirations and I am personally very proud that we can now offer students loan options to fully fund their route to becoming a solicitor. Securing NDAPs is a fantastic development for us.”
