Catch22 reserves the right to amend this policy, following consultation, where appropriate.
Date of last review: January 2026
Date of next review: August 2026
What is the policy about?
This policy outlines the processes for managing learner leavers within Catch22 Colleges, ensuring compliance with the Department for Education (DfE), awarding bodies, and other regulatory authorities. It aims to ensure all leaver documentation is completed correctly and that supporting evidence is provided in line with DfE rules.
Who does this policy apply to?
This policy applies to all learners leaving Catch22 Colleges, regardless of whether they successfully complete their programme with achievement, complete without achievement or withdraw before completion.
This policy should be used in conjunction with procedural document; EoP (End of Programme) Submission Guide, Change Request Submission Guide.
Policy requirements
Definitions
- Completer: A learner who has completed the programme with full or partial achievement or has completed learning towards an aim without achieving it at point of programme completion.
- Withdrawal: A learner who has left the programme without achievement and has not completed their full programme. In some instances, learners may have partial achievements and may still be classed as a withdrawal.
- Non-start: A learner who has left the programme or will not complete their programme and has not passed their qualifying period.
Processing requirements
Learners that finish their study programme at the communicated planned end date of their timetable and within the DfE funding year are considered to have completed their study programme, learners that finish prior to this date are considered to have withdrawn from their study programme.
Processing requirements differ depending on the learners outcome. To process a learners end of programme (EoP), the following documentation must be completed and submitted to compliance for quality checking.
- Completion with achievement: Submit EoP paperwork including evidence of the learners last day in learning and awarding body evidence of achievement.
- Completion without achievement: Submit EoP paperwork indicating completion status, including evidence of last day in learning evidence, with no awarded qualification.
- Withdrawal before completion: Submit EoP paperwork recording the learners last day in learning, reason for leaving, evidence of reengagement attempts or an intention to return, contact log and any other supporting documentation.
If the required evidence is not provided, the learner will not be processed. All paperwork must be submitted promptly to ensure compliance with data management principles and allow the compliance team sufficient time to process and validate records. Timely submission enables the identification and correction of errors or warnings, ensures data quality, and supports accurate and timely funding reconciliation.
If learners are ‘non-start’ they do not require the above paperwork to be completed, instead, please inform the compliance team and update the necessary course registers on PICS to ensure the learner is close off correctly. Please refer to ‘Learner Journey in PICs’ guidance for further information.
Achievement
A learner is classified as an achiever once the IQA confirms that they have met the criteria for their qualification. Upon receiving confirmation, a certificate can be requested by the centre admin. Please refer to the Registration & Certification policy for further information.
College closures
In the event of a college closure where a learner cannot complete their qualification or learning, Catch22 Colleges will:
- support the learner in transferring to another suitable Catch22 College site, where possible, or
- if no suitable Catch22 site is available, assist the learner in finding an alternative provider to complete their learning.
Policy review
This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure compliance with DfE, awarding body, and other regulatory requirements. Feedback from staff and stakeholders will be considered during the review process to enhance the policy’s effectiveness.
Related policies
- Attendance & Punctuality Policy – Catch22 Colleges
- Behaviour & Code of Conduct Policy – Catch22 Colleges
- Registration & Certification Policy – Catch22 Colleges
- Induction & New Start Policy – Catch22 Colleges