Repeat Teaching

Repeat Teaching may be granted if you have attempts remaining at outstanding assessments and you were unable to fully engage with your teaching due to circumstances outside of your control.

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What is Repeat Teaching?

The School acknowledges that in some exceptional circumstances there may be a case to be made for having teaching a second time because there was an extenuating circumstance that meant you were not able to engage fully with the teaching.This is what is known as Repeat Teaching. Repeat teaching is the exception and not the norm. It is not guaranteed even if your department approves it.

If you successfully meet the requirements to continue to the next year of your programme but have assessments outstanding in up to one full unit from the previous year, you can apply to receive teaching in the outstanding unit for a second time alongside the units from your next year of study. This is known as Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching.

Am I eligible for Repeat Teaching?

Repeat Teaching and Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching are never granted simply because you fail or defer an assessment.

Applications for Repeat Teaching will only be considered if you can demonstrate, providing evidence where possible, long-term extenuating circumstances that impacted you during the academic year and prevented you engaging with the teaching the first time around.

If you experienced circumstances which affected your studies only on a short-term basis (for example illness during the assessment period) your application will not be considered.  Therefore, if you defer an assessment, Repeat Teaching will only be granted if you can demonstrate that your ability to engage with and benefit from teaching during the academic year was also affected by long-term extenuating circumstances. We would usually expect these to have been flagged to the Student Services Centre during the academic year.

You can only apply for Repeat Teaching in courses you have not passed.

Important things to note before applying for Repeat Teaching

  • There is a cost for repeat teaching. The charge will depend on the number of units you are taking and your level of study;
  • Engagement is monitored and if you are not attending, repeat teaching can be removed;
  • If you are on a visa, you will need to apply for a new visa to be able to undertake your repeat teaching/complete your programme depending on your individual situation. You will need immigration advice prior to submitting your repeat teaching application form.

    Repeat teaching may not be granted if you are close to the five year cap on undergraduate studies.
  • Course changes are not usually permitted for repeat teaching.
  • Repeat teaching is not guaranteed, especially at Masters level. 
  • Repeat teaching is not  a means to prevent your visa being curtailed because you are a resit without tuition student.  You must have repeat teaching in at least two full units to remain sponsored on a Student visa.

Important Information for International Students on Student Visas

  • To be able to remain sponsored for repeat teaching, a Student visa holder must have at least a minimum of two full units of repeat teaching granted
  • If you have requested less than two full units, your application will be rejected by  the Repeat Teaching Panel
  • If you have requested repeat teaching and this teaching will take you beyond the five year cap on Undergraduate level studies (six-year for students on a degree of four years), your application will be rejected. You will be asked to provide this information on the application form or your application will not be accepted.

How can I apply?

  • If you are considering applying having not progressed to your next year of study, or not been awarded your degree, read the Results Advice email correspondence from the SSC that outlines your options following results release.
  • Read all of the information available on this webpage.
  • Determine if you are fit to engage with an additional year of teaching;
  • Consider your finances. As well as spending another year in education, repeat teaching comes with a fee.
  • Complete the Repeat Teaching form. 
  • Include supporting evidence where possible. Evidence must be in English. A reference for good supporting documents can be found below.
  • Submit all documents to your Departmental Tutor (UGs) or Programme Director (PGs).They will consider your request and pass your application to the Repeat Teaching Panel for a final decision.

When should I submit my application?

You are advised to submit your application for Repeat Teaching as early as possible, however, the Repeat Teaching Panel will not convene until the Summer Vacation so no decisions will be made during term time. Approval by your department does not guarantee that the panel will approve your application.

The Repeat Teaching deadlines for 2023/24 have now passed and no further applications will be considered.

We will not accept early applications for approval in priniciple. All applications must be submitted within the designated timeframe.

Important information for Undergraduates

All undergraduate students are eligible to sit any failed or deferred assessments during the Undergraduate In-year Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (IRDAP).

However,  repeat teaching applications should be submitted by the July deadline, before the start of  IRDAP. You will then be opted out of IRDAP ensuring that you retain attempts at assessments in future exam periods.

Please note that until you have received approval from the Repeat Teaching Panel that your application has been approved, you will be expected to take your assessments in IRDAP. If your repeat teaching is approved, you will be automatically be opted out of IRDAP.  You will not be able to do both.

If you feel you need Repeat Teaching before you are able to (re)attempt your assessments, you can opt out of your UG IRDAP assessments by ticking the relevant box. If you tick this box,  you will not need to defer the assessment(s) separately.  This will be done for you automatically if the repeat teaching application is approved.  

You are permitted up to three attempts at any first-year courses and up to two attempts to pass any second- and third-year courses.   

  • If your Repeat Teaching request is provisionally approved before IRDAP; and
  • you pass enough units to progress to your next year of study; but
  • have outstanding assessments in one unit your application will be reconsidered as a Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching application.

Undergraduate students are encouraged to submit their Repeat Teaching applications as soon as possible, to allow the Panel sufficient time to consider their application carefully. 

If you have deferred your assessments, you can submit your Repeat Teaching application at the end of the Summer Term assessment period. 

If you have failed your assessments, you can apply following the release of your provisional results in July 2024. The panel will not assess early applications until the relevant resulst period has passed.

If you have any questions, please contact us via the online enquiries form.

Important information for Postgraduates

Repeat teaching at postgraduate level is an exception. If you are granted Repeat Teaching you will not be eligible to complete all your outstanding assessments in the PGT resit and deferred assessment period. You will be assessed in the normal assessment period(s) i.e. January and Summer Term and awarded in July (9, 10  and 21 month programmes) or November (12 and 24 month programmes).

Postgraduate students on 9, 10  and 21 month programmes can apply for Repeat Teaching following the release of their final results in July. If you have deferred your assessments you can submit your Repeat Teaching application at the end of the Summer Term assessment period. For early applications, we will endeavour to confirm panel decisions as soon as possible once final results are released.

Postgraduate students on 12/ second year 24 month programmes cannot usually apply for Repeat Teaching because their final results are released in November, after the start of teaching for the next academic year. However, if you have deferred your assessments and know that you will not be awarded your degree in November, you may be eligible for Repeat Teaching. In this case you should seek advice from your Programme Director.

Postgraduate students on multi-year or part-time programmes can apply for Repeat Teaching if they receive final (rather than provisional) results in July. You will still be permitted to progress if eligible with the outstanding unit, in which case your request would be considered as Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching.

If you have any questions, please contact us via the online enquiries form

Who considers my application? 

Repeat Teaching applications are first considered by your Departmental Tutor (UGs) or Programme Director (PGs) and then submitted to the Repeat Teaching Panel for a final decision.  

The Panel ensures equity across the School for all applications and reserve the right to reject applications. 

How will my application be considered?

When reviewing your Repeat Teaching request your department and the Repeat Teaching panel will consider;

For Repeat Teaching;

  • Your attendance at classes as an initial measure of how much you benefitted from teaching first time round.
  • Your circumstances and your explanation (and evidence, if provided) about how these affected your ability to benefit from teaching.
  • Whether you have requested Repeat Teaching in a previous year.
  • Whether you have attempts remaining in the outstanding assessments. 
  • Whether your requested courses are running in 2023/24.
  • If you have requested a course change, whether you have already passed any component of assessment (if so, you will not be permitted to change courses). 
  • If you are requesting Repeat Teaching for Autumn Term  following a Winter Term interruption, whether your circumstances have changed sufficiently to allow you to return from interruption early.

For Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching;

All of the above and

  • Your academic performance in other courses and the potential impact of permitting an additional unit of teaching alongside your normal teaching load.

Outcomes

Approved Applications

You and your Departmental Tutor (UGs) or Programme Director (PGs) will be notified by email if your Repeat Teaching application is approved.

Please be aware that when your application is approved it does not definitively mean you will be able to take Repeat Teaching. You will need to meet all applicable fee and visa requirements.

If you have been approved for Repeat Teaching and are a Student visa holder you must contact the Student Advice and Engagement Team in the Student Services Centre to access detailed advice on visa applications, caps and extensions. An approval of Repeat Teaching is not an absolute guarantee that you can take the teaching; you must satisfy visa compliance. 

If you do meet all relevant requirements you will then need to register and enrol for the new academic year.

Denied Applications

You and your Departmental Tutor (UGs) or Programme Director (PGs) will be notified by email if your Repeat Teaching application is denied.

If you wish to appeal, you can submit an enquiry  to ask why your application has been rejected. Further to this you may submit a statement to the Repeat Teaching Panel explaining the reasons for appeal, and including more or new evidence as appropriate. You will also be required to obtain an updated recommendation from your Departmental Tutor (UGs) or Programme Director (PGs).

You must submit this recommendation along with a letter of appeal via this enquiry form. The deadline for submitting your appeal will be included in your initial outcome email.

You may be asked to appear at a Panel meeting to discuss your appeal. 

If you do not make a successful Repeat Teaching application or subsequent appeal, you will automatically be re-entered to take your outstanding assessments as an unregistered student during the applicable assessment period the following academic year. Further information about assessment re-entry can be found on the entry webpage

Fees

If you progress to your next year of study and are awarded Fifth Unit Repeat Teaching in up to one additional unit, you will be charged the usual fee for that year of study without an increase for the Repeat Teaching unit. 

If you do not progress and are therefore adding an additional Repeat Teaching year to your programme you will be charged as shown below. The applicable fee will be confirmed to you in your outcome email and will appear on your account in due course.

Undergraduate Fees:

Repeat Teaching fees are currently £562.50 per half unit equivalent for a full year of teaching. A full year of Repeat Teaching in all units currently costs £4500. Full details can be found in the Table of Fees. Please refer to the table for the academic year in which you would take Repeat Teaching. Repeat Teaching fees are paid in the same way as normal programme fees and any questions about how to pay should be directed to the Fees Office.

Postgraduate Fees:

Repeat Teaching fees are currently the usual yearly fee for the programme which you are studying, pro-rated based on the number of units you are taking. Full details can be found in the Table of Fees. Repeat Teaching fees are paid in the same way as normal programme fees and any questions about how to pay should be directed to the Fees Office.

Financial Support

Can I still access Student Finance?

If you are paying Home fees and have previously received funding from Student Finance or want to apply for funding for your repeat year, you should contact Student Finance directly. 

In order to be eligible for continued funding from Student Finance you will need to be registered for teaching. If you are going to be registered for fewer than four units, Student Finance still considers you to be engaged on a full-time programme; so do not complete a part-time Student Finance application.

If you have already applied for funding through Student Finance before you realised that you had not progressed into your next year of study, they will need to be notified of the change. Student Services will notify Student Finance of your circumstances and confirm that you need access to funding as a student registered for Repeat Teaching. They will also confirm the change of fee, as applicable.

If you have any questions you should speak to Student Finance directly.

An approval of Repeat Teaching is not a guarantee of funding. You must satisfy the usual criteria. 

What happens to my LSE scholarship?

If you have an LSE scholarship and are not progressing to the next year of your programme please contact the Financial Support Office as soon as possible.

Is there any other funding available for Repeat Teaching?

The LSE Financial Support Office will be able to advise you on any funding you may be eligible for. Contact financial-support@lse.ac.uk for details.

The LSESU Advice Service can provide hardship funding for students experiencing financial difficulties for a range of different reasons. Contact su.advice@lse.ac.uk for details.

Standards of evidence

Wherever possible you should provide evidence of the circumstances you mention on your Repeat Teaching application. This will help your department and the Repeat Teaching Panel understand the reasons for your request. 

The School’s Standards of Evidence policy is available online.

FAQs

Can I receive Repeat Teaching if I deferred my assessment(s)?

Repeat Teaching is only granted if you can demonstrate long-term extenuating circumstances that impacted you during the academic year and prevented you engaging with or benefitting from the teaching the first time around.  If you defer your assessment(s) because of circumstances that are "sudden, unforeseen, outside of your control and proximate to an assessment" then you would not usually be eligible for Repeat Teaching. However, deferral does not preclude you from applying if you feel you have a particularly strong case. 

Can I receive Repeat Teaching for a passed course?

No, if you have passed a course, you cannot attempt any element of assessment again and you are not eligible to receive Repeat Teaching for this unit.

If I am granted Repeat Teaching can I resit a component of assessment I've already passed?

No, if you have previously passed any assessment component(s) for a course you are granted Repeat Teaching in, these marks will be banked and you cannot reattempt them. You can only attempt any assessments you have previously deferred or failed, provided you have attempts remaining.

Does receiving Repeat Teaching remove capping for failed courses?

No, if you receive Repeat Teaching for a course you have previously failed, the numerical mark you obtain will show on your transcript, however the course will be capped at pass for classification purposes.

Can I change courses as part of my Repeat Teaching application? 

You may be eligible to request a course change when you apply for Repeat Teaching, particularly if your current course has been suspended or withdrawn. This will be subject to your programme regulations and you should discuss this with your Department Tutor or Programme Director in the first instance.

You cannot request to change a course via Repeat Teaching if you have already passed any of the assessment components of the course (such as a Lent Term exam or a summative essay).

The Repeat Teaching Panel will make the final decision about whether the Repeat Teaching course change can be approved.

How do I select my courses?

You do not select your courses. They are input for you based on the courses listed and approved on your Repeat Teaching application. Course selections will begin to be entered on your student record at the end of August, and only after your Repeat Teaching has been officially approved (if you opted to sit assessments in the Undergraduate In-year Resit and Deferred Assessment Period (UG RDAP)).

If you wish to make any changes to the courses you have already had approved you must email your Departmental Tutor or Programme Director to gain permission for the change. The Repeat Teaching Panel will also need to approve any course change requests. Course changes will only be made in exceptional cases and only whilst the course selection window is open. Once the course selection window closes, no changes will be made. It is not possible to change courses if you have previously passed any of the assessment components of the course (such as a Lent Term exam or a summative essay).

Can I apply for Repeat Teaching in just some of my outstanding units? 

To be eligible for Repeat Teaching you must demonstrate long-term extenuating circumstances that impacted you during the academic year and prevented you engaging with the teaching the first time around.  We would therefore expect that these circumstances will have affected all of your units and would generally advise that you receive Repeat Teaching in all outstanding units.  If you do not wish to, you should explain clearly on your request why you don’t need Repeat Teaching for all units.

You will be automatically re-entered for all your outstanding assessments, even if you are not granted Repeat Teaching in all outstanding units. Full details regarding this process are available on the re-entry webpage. Note that you are only eligible to receive teaching in courses that you have formally been granted Repeat Teaching in so will not be permitted to attend classes without Repeat Teaching being granted.