External Quality Assurance
The External Quality Assurance (EQA) is an integral part of our quality assurance arrangements. We monitor and evaluate the performance of a recognised centre and promote continuous improvement in its assessment process
The EQA’s role is to review the processes of assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA) at recognised centres, and to ensure that recognised centre staff members are making assessment judgements that are consistent with the qualification learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
Our dedicated team of EQA’s are experts within their field, and work closely with the IQAs at a recognised centre.
To meet the needs of our centres, 1st4sport offers our EQA services on a face-to-face and/or remote basis.
Annual Visit
All recognised centres will be subject to a minimum of one visit a year.
This visit will be to the centre's headquarters, as registered on the Centre Portal.
If you're unsure who your EQA is, please email [email protected].
As part of this annual visit, the Centre EQA will be checking:
- the implementation of policies
- that your workforce is qualified
- that you have robust and efficient quality assurance processes in place.
All recognised centres will be subject to a minimum of one visit a year.
This visit will be to the centre's headquarters, as registered on the Centre Portal.
If you're unsure who your EQA is, please email [email protected].
As part of this annual visit, the Centre EQA will be checking:
- the implementation of policies
- that workforce are qualified
- that you have robust and efficient quality assurance processes in place.
- direct claims status activity has been implemented appropriately.
- samples of learner evidence across qualifications.
Following any EQA visit, the centre will receive an EQA monitoring report providing feedback, any set actions and, if applicable, confirmation
of certification.
In addition to the EQA visit, recognised centres may submit learner evidence through moderation.
This process is for:
- recognised centres who have learners ready to be certificated and their planned EQA visit is not for a while. This would only apply to centres who do not have direct claim status (ICA) status for the specific qualification.
- recognised centres who have been informed they must submit evidence to moderation as part of their EQA monitoring activity.
As part of the annual fee, 1st4sport offers five moderation dates for recognised centres to submit learner evidence. If you submit evidence outside of these dates, it will levy a fee.
Moderation Dates for 2026:
- February 2026
- April 2026
- June 2026
- August 2026
- November 2026
All moderation must be arranged by contacting [email protected] directly. You will be asked to confirm the qualifications required, the purpose of the activity and the key contact person to liaise with throughout this.
Moderation is carried out by subject specialist moderators, who are able to provide qualification-specific feedback on good practice and areas for development.
Direct Claims Status is a status awarded to individual qualifications at recognised centres where integrity, trust and efficient processes have been seen during the EQA check.
During the annual visit and/or moderation, the Centre EQAs/Moderators can recommend this status for a qualification within a recognised centre.
1st4sport will review all recommendations for eligibility and ongoing centre activity. Feedback will be provided to the centre confirming the outcome.
