1. Document Control
Policy Owner: Principal / Director
Responsible Committee: Management Committee
Approval Authority: Principal / Director
Effective From: 25/12/2025
Version: 1.0
Applies To: All operations, staff, students and delivery activities of Equra College London, including partner-delivered provision where applicable.
2. Purpose
Equra College London is committed to maintaining continuity of learning, teaching and essential operations in the event of disruption. This policy sets out how the College prepares for, responds to, and recovers from incidents that may interrupt normal operations, ensuring the safety of students and staff and minimising disruption to academic delivery.
3. Scope
This policy applies to disruptions including, but not limited to:
a. IT or systems failure
b. Loss of access to premises
c. Fire, flood or other physical incidents
d. Severe staff shortages
e. Public health emergencies
f. Utility outages
g. Cyber incidents or data breaches
h. Partner site disruption affecting delivery
4. Principles
The College’s approach is based on:
a. Protection of life and safety
b. Continuity of teaching and assessment where reasonably practicable
c. Clear communication with students and staff
d. Proportionate and risk-based decision making
e. Timely recovery and restoration of services
f. Learning from incidents to improve resilience
5. Key Risks and Priority Functions
The College identifies the following as priority functions:
a. Teaching delivery and access to learning materials
b. Assessment submission and feedback
c. Student support and safeguarding routes
d. Academic records and data protection
e. Communication with students, staff and partners
f. Regulatory and partner reporting where required
6. Business Continuity Planning
6.1 Preventive measures
The College will take reasonable steps to reduce disruption risk, including:
a. Secure storage and backup of academic and administrative data
b. Cloud-based access to key systems where possible
c. Cross-cover planning for key roles
d. Clear documentation of academic delivery and assessment requirements
6.2 Alternative delivery arrangements
Where disruption occurs, the College may implement temporary measures such as:
a. Online or blended delivery in place of in-person teaching
b. Adjusted timetables or session formats
c. Revised assessment arrangements in line with assessment regulations
d. Temporary use of alternative premises or partner facilities
Any changes will be communicated clearly and applied fairly.
7. Disaster Recovery (IT and Data)
7.1 IT recovery
The College will maintain appropriate data backup and recovery arrangements to enable restoration of essential systems.
7.2 Data protection
All recovery actions must comply with the Data Protection Policy and Data Breach Incident Response Procedure.
7.3 Cyber incidents
Cyber incidents will be managed in line with information security procedures, including escalation, containment and recovery.
8. Roles and Responsibilities
8.1 Principal / Director
Has overall responsibility for activating business continuity arrangements and decision making.
8.2 Management Committee
Supports coordination, prioritisation and oversight of recovery actions.
8.3 Academic Director / Head of Quality
Ensures academic continuity, assessment integrity and student communication.
8.4 Staff
Must follow instructions during incidents and support continuity measures where reasonably practicable.
9. Communication
The College will communicate disruption and recovery information through appropriate channels, including email, VLE and website notices. Communications will aim to be timely, clear and reassuring.
10. Recovery and Return to Normal Operations
Once disruption has stabilised, the College will:
a. Resume normal delivery as soon as reasonably practicable
b. Review the effectiveness of response actions
c. Address any academic or student impact through appropriate processes
d. Update plans where improvements are identified
11. Monitoring and Review
This policy and associated arrangements will be reviewed annually and following any significant incident.
12. Related Policies and Documents
a. Health and Safety Policy
b. Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation Procedure
c. Risk Assessment Policy and Template
d. Data Protection Policy
e. Data Breach Incident Response Procedure
f. Information Security Policy
g. Student Protection Plan
h. Quality Assurance, Enhancement and Programme Management Policy