Ms Fiza Nadeem, a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) student at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), faced exclusion from her programme after a string of administrative errors. Aldwych Legal was asked to challenge the university’s decision, protecting her education rights and ensuring fair process under Education Law.
What Happened
- UCLan’s Student Fees and Funding team informed Student Finance England that Ms Nadeem was repeating her second year, when she was progressing as a second-year student.
- This misclassification caused delays in tuition fee payments and disrupted access to essential learning materials.
- Several submitted assessments remained unmarked despite timely submission, further hindering her academic progress.
Legal Issues
- Breach of contract for education services under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 due to administrative failures and lack of support.
- Breach of statutory duty to provide a fair and accessible academic environment under the Education Act 1994 and university policies.
- Violation of Article 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (ECHR) right to a fair hearing owing to miscommunications and handling of extenuating circumstances.
Our Approach
We moved quickly to initiate pre-action steps under the CPR and the Pre-Action Protocol for Education. Our team documented the misclassification and the impact on Ms Nadeem’s studies, and we demanded swift corrective action from UCLan.
We prepared a formal appeal and engaged in targeted correspondence with the university, emphasising contractual obligations and the need to rectify the failure to mark outstanding assessments. Throughout, we referenced OIA guidelines on fair handling of student complaints to support the process.
Outcome
UCLan reconsidered the decision, allowing Ms Nadeem to progress to her third year. The outstanding assessments were re-marked and appropriate resit opportunities were provided, restoring her ability to complete the programme without further delay.
Result / Why It Matters
This case demonstrates Aldwych Legal’s ability to secure fair outcomes for students facing administrative missteps by institutions. Our approach protects educational rights and reinforces the importance of timely, proper support in higher education disputes.
