This article is written by Dr Giles Proctor, CEO of The College of Legal Practice, outlining the College’s progress towards Degree Awarding Powers and its ongoing work with the Office for Students.
The College of Legal Practice is a UK higher education provider with probationary Degree Awarding Powers, granted and regulated by the Office for Students. This means the College is authorised to award its own higher education qualifications, including awards at Level 6 and Level 7, such as the Graduate Diploma in Law and the LLM in Legal Practice.
What is accreditation?
We are often asked, is The College of Legal Practice accredited? The answer is Yes, The College of Legal Practice is regulated by the Office for Students and holds probationary Degree Awarding Powers, subject to ongoing monitoring and reporting.
What does “probationary” Degree Awarding Powers mean?
It means the College can award its own degrees while demonstrating that its academic governance, quality assurance and standards meet sector expectations, under close regulatory oversight.
How are we progressing towards full Degree Awarding Powers?
Over the past year, the College of Legal Practice has continued to make good progress in developing its Degree Awarding Powers (DAPs). This work forms part of our probationary period and is focused on improving the quality, consistency and student-centred nature of our academic provision.
Our progress is monitored through regular submissions to the Office for Students, and throughout the year we have met our planned milestones with no material risks identified. What follows is a summary of the most important outcomes and improvements that matter to students and the wider community, drawn from our internal progress reporting.
Stronger student voice in academic governance
A key area of development has been strengthening how students are involved in academic governance and decision-making. Over the year, we have expanded representation on senior academic committees, including the addition of another student representative. Alongside this, we reviewed best practice across the higher education sector and used these insights to design a clear, structured Student Governance Implementation Plan, which is now approved and being delivered.
For students, this means:
- More consistent opportunities to be involved in academic governance
- Clearer routes for feedback to be heard and acted upon
- Improved accountability in how academic issues are considered
We have also introduced additional feedback mechanisms, such as pulse surveys, and have seen increased engagement from student representatives in Staff–Student Liaison Committees. Updated Terms of Reference for the Academic Committee now provide clearer oversight and a more transparent governance cycle, strengthening confidence in how academic standards are maintained .
Clearer and consistent academic regulation
To improve clarity and accessibility for students, we have consolidated the majority of student-facing academic policies into a single Academic Regulatory Framework. This reduces duplication, improves consistency, and makes it easier for students to understand their rights, responsibilities and academic processes.
We have also taken steps to ensure our policies remain current. A recent review confirmed that our Reasonable Adjustments Policy complies with the Equality Act 2010, with further enhancements identified for future review. This work supports our commitment to fairness, accessibility and inclusive learning environments for all students .
Protecting academic integrity and standards
Maintaining confidence in academic standards is central to our DAPs journey. This year, we have ensured that Turnitin, our academic integrity software, which supports student assessments and outcomes, is fully integrated with our learning management system, Canvas, used in summative and some formative assessments where appropriate, supported by training for both staff and students. This forms part of a wider, structured approach that focuses not only deterring plagiarism, but also on prevention and education.
Students benefit from:
- Clearer expectations around academic integrity
- Better support and guidance before assessments
- Consistent and transparent handling of any perceived academic misconduct
These measures help ensure that all our awards reflect genuine achievement and are aligned with sector expectations.
Enhancing the online student academic experience
Recognising the importance of community in an online learning environment, we have worked closely with students to shape improvements to the virtual student experience. A student survey and follow-up focus groups have informed the design of a dedicated shared student community space within Canvas, due to be fully implemented later this summer.
Early findings show that students value a flexible model of engagement that fits around professional and personal commitments. Our implementation plan reflects this, supporting connection and belonging without creating unnecessary barriers to participation. Preparatory work is underway ahead of our next LLM cohort joining us, ensuring these improvements are in place as new students join.
Investing in teaching quality and staff development
High-quality teaching and supervision underpin positive student outcomes. Over the year, we have strengthened and encouraged professional development for academic staff and supervisors by:
- Providing funding to support staff members obtaining Fellowship of Advance HE
- Refocusing supervisor meetings to include substantial pedagogic development time and space
- Establishing institutional membership with the Association of Law Teachers.
These steps support continuous improvement in teaching practice and ensure our staff remain engaged with evolving sector standards, directly benefiting the student learning experience and develop as a self-reflective academic community.
Looking ahead
Across the year, we have either delivered or are actively progressing all planned milestones within our Degree Awarding Powers Action Plan.
For students and stakeholders, this progress demonstrates our ongoing commitment to:
- Strong academic governance
- Clear and fair regulations
- High academic standards
- An inclusive, student-centred learning experience
As we continue our DAPs journey, our focus remains on embedding these improvements and ensuring they translate into meaningful, long-term benefits for our students and the wider legal education community.