BWine – International Wine School Policy Statements

1. Cancellations, transfers and refunds
• Advance payment is required for all classes and programs.

• Examination dates are fixed to the course onto which you book and any transfer to an alternative date will incur an administration fee of €50.00. All transfer requests must be made in writing or by email to students@bwineschool.com at least 15 working days before the original examination date for in classroom exam and at least 20 working days before for RI examination. Transfer requests made after the deadlines will incur the admin fee and cost of examination paper which will have been ordered via WSET Awards. All transfers of courses and examination dates are subject to availability.

• Only students that have attended a programme of study will be eligible to attend one of the exam dates.

• Your registration is fully transferable to another person for the same course and session, subject to qualification. Participants may nominate an alternative person to attend in their place up to 3 days prior to the start of the course. The new candidate needs to complete a full booking form for the transfer to be valid. Please notice that if notification comes within 2 weeks of the exam date, an administration fee of €50.00 will be applicable.

• Should substitution not be possible, cancellation charges apply as follows: 8 weeks or more prior to start of course: 10% of the participants fee plus the cost of any materials sent; 4 to 8 weeks prior to start of course: 30% of the participants fee plus the cost of any materials sent; 4 weeks or less prior to start of course: 100% of the participants fee. All substitution and cancellation requests must be sent by email to students@bwineschool.com; subject: ‘substitution and cancellation’ .

• Failure to attend booked examinations, or transfers requested later than three weeks before the start of the course, will result in the student being liable to subsequent examination fees.
• Where a candidate is unable to attend an examination due to recent personal illness, accident or bereavement, the APP will endeavour to transfer the candidate to an alternative examination date at no extra cost. Transfer will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation, such as medical certificate or similar document.

• Bwine, International Wine School reserves the right to reschedule or cancel any course. Should this become necessary, registered students may transfer their booking to another scheduled course of the same level at no extra cost or request a refund of the fee minus the cost of any materials sent if this is not returned. In any event, Bwine International Wine School shall not be liable for any expenditure, damage or loss incurred by the participant.

• Students requiring special examination conditions must submit their request before starting the course. Such requests must be supported by a medical certificate or similar document.

• Bwine, International Wine School may arrange for photographs or videos to be taken at any moment during courses. Persons who do not wish to be photographed or filmed should advise the office in writing before the start of the course. A Permission Agreement Request will be submitted to candidates together with the booking form.
•It is the responsibility of participants to arrange appropriate insurance cover in connection with the participation in courses. Bwine, International Wine School cannot be held responsible for personal injuries or any loss, liability or damage to personal property.

2. Complaints and appeals
At BWine, International Wine School each of our students is important to us, and we believe you have the right to fair, swift and courteous service. Once we are in receipt of your complaint we will deal with it promptly, effectively and in a positive manner.
The school operates a complaints procedure through which it aims to resolve concerns as quickly as possible. A complainant may be a student or prospective student. All complaints will be taken seriously and dealt with impartially. We aim to assist students in resolving issues regarding bookings, courses or non–exam related concerns and to promote a positive experience.
BWine, International Wine School will do its best to resolve student complaints relating to academic and non- academic issues in a timely manner with the aim of settling a formal complaint within 20 working days or less. Records of students’ complaints will be retained for two years. No student will be criticized or retaliated against for using this procedure in a cooperative manner.
If you have a complaint or concern that you wish to raise, please contact Student Services on students@Bwineschool.com (please specify in the email object : complaint)

Complaints procedure
• Your complaint should be submitted in writing by email to the student services manager at students@Bwineschool.com (adding ref: complaint).

• We are committed to dealing with your complaint without any discrimination or prejudice. Please note, your complaint will be confidential and if your complaint is on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission before we can proceed further.

• Please provide us with your contact details (address, email address, telephone number), specific details of the complaint and any supporting evidence you may have or details of any previous attempts you have made to resolve your complaint.

• Your complaint will be dealt with students@Bwineschool.com ‘s by students services manager. We will acknowledge your complaint within 10 working days and endeavour to send a final response to you within 20 working days of the date you raised it with us. If we are unable to provide you with a final response within this time frame, we will send you an update explaining why and advise as to when you can expect a final response.

• If more than six weeks from the date of your complaint has passed and you haven’t received a final response from us, or you are still dissatisfied with the response, you may file a complaint with the WSET® Awards team about BWine, International Wine School – on qa@wsetglobal.com”.

3. Conflict of interest
BWine, International Wine School is required to identify, monitor and manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest. This is essential to safeguard the integrity of wine certification qualifications and promote confidence in BWine, International Wine School’s processes.
This policy applies to all BWine, International Wine School’s staff and to any individual acting on behalf of BWine, International Wine School.
A Conflict of Interest exists where an individual has interests or loyalties that could adversely influence their judgement, objectivity or loyalty to BWine, International Wine School when conducting activities associated with wine and spirits certification qualifications.
Bwine will contact WSET® Awards upon discovering a potnetial Conflict and take action according to their advice.

4. Data protection
This policy sets out principles we will apply when handling individuals’ personal information. By submitting data to BWine, International Wine School, individuals authorise BWine, International Wine School to process data in accordance with this policy.
Pursuant to art. 13 of EU Regulation 2016/679 (hereinafter “GDPR”) BWine,
International Wine School would like to inform You about the processing of Your personal data. 1. Data Controller and Data Protection Officer’s contact (DPO)
The data controller is BWine, in the person of Bianca Mazzinghi, with its registered office at corso Diaz 24 , Massa Marittima (GR), 58024, e-mail bianca.mazzinghi@Bwineschool.com (hereinafter the “Company” or “Data Controller”). The DPO is available at the following email address: bianca.mazzinghi@Bwineschool.com , subject DPO

2. Purpose of the processing, legal bases and retention periods
2.1 Your data will be processed by the Company for purposes related to the booking and delivery of BWine
courses. The legal basis for the processing is the execution of the contract.

2.2 Your data will be further processed to fulfill administration/accounting requirements, such as accounts management, invoicing, in accordance with what applicable legislation requires, or for the fulfilment of legal, regulatory or EU imposed obligations. In such case, the legal basis for the processing by the Company is the necessity to comply with a legal obligation to which the Company itself is subject.

2.3 Your data may be further processed to exercise and/or protect Company’s rights in a judicial proceeding. In this case the legal basis for the processing is the legitimate interest of the Company. In case of litigation, data will be retained for the entire duration of the litigation and in addition, until the limitation period foreseen for an appeal has expired.

2.4 Your data will be retained for the entire duration of the contract and, upon termination or expiration, for 10 years.

3. Personal data provision
The provision of personal data requested in the registration form in the filling form is compulsory. If you do not provide your personal data, the Company will not be able to complete your booking for the BWINE course.

4. Categories of subjects to whom the data may be communicated
Your personal data will be processed by the employees and/or collaborators of the Data Controller which have received appropriate operative instructions and which have been expressly authorized for the processing. BWine, International Wine School will only provide a candidate’s personal data to WSET® Awards in the context of examination registrations and/or certification claims. It will not be used by WSET® Awards other
than for the administration of the examinations process, conducting assessments and certifying results. Personal data within candidate’s work will be collected and processed by WSET® Awards for the purposes of marking and issuing examination results and providing candidates with post-results services.

5. Data subjects rights

You may request the Controller to access the data concerning You, the erasure of data, the correction of inaccurate data, the integration of incomplete data, the limitation of processing in the cases provided for by Article 18 GDPR, as well as to object, on grounds relating to Your particular situation, to the processing carried out in the legitimate interest of the controller.
To exercise Your rights, You may contact the Data Controller by sending a written communication to the address reported hereabove or via email at bianca.mazzinghi@Bwineschool.com
Lastly, You may lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority as well as to use other protection mechanism as foreseen by applicable law.

Data protection arrangements
• BWine, International Wine School has the following procedures in place to safeguard data collected by it:

• All BWine, International Wine School staff, students and educators have access to this policy;
• BWine, International Wine School is required to inform students of how their data will be processed for the purposes of registration and certification of a WSET® qualification;
• Forms which require the collection of personal or sensitive personal data include a data protection statement informing individuals about how their data will be processed;
• Data collected by BWine, International Wine School is not used for marketing purposes or shared with third parties;
• No personal data is disclosed to anyone outside of BWine, International Wine School without the prior written consent of the individual;
• Access to personal information on the BWine, International Wine School database is restricted to authorized users;
•BWine, International Wine School has appropriate measures in place to ensure the data held on our systems is secure. In the event of an unauthorised use of data or data loss, the individuals concerned will be notified and a recovery plan implemented. This will include a risk assessment and review of operating procedures.

Use of Cookies
We use cookies to improve your website experience. Cookies provide information regarding your computer and small file which are downloaded and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies do not identify you personally but are used for statistical data. You may decline the use of cookies if you wish. This can easily be done by activating the appropriate settings on your computer.

Website Links
Where the Site or Services contains a link to another website, it does not mean that we endorse or approve that website’s privacy policy. We recommend that you review their privacy policy before sending them any personal data.

Changes to this Policy
We are continuously improving and changing our systems. From time to time we may make changes to the way we process your information and may amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Please check this space regularly.
Your continued use of this Site or Services following any such changes will be deemed to signify your acceptance to the changes.

5. Diversity and equality
Policy Statement
BWine, International Wine School, as an Approved Program Provider (APP) for WSET® Awards, fully supports the principles of Equal Opportunities. We strive to ensure that all candidates for the WSET® qualifications are treated fairly and on an equal basis.
Responsibilities
Equal Opportunities are assured by BWine, International Wine School (as an APP for WSET® Awards) via the following commitments:
• (with the support of the WSET® ): ensuring there are no barriers to entry to the WSET® units and qualifications
. The nature of any barriers will be stated and the inclusion of the requirements that create the barrier justified only and explicitly in terms of the integrity of the unit or the qualification. Details of how the effect of any barriers will be mitigated will be recorded, including using access arrangements or including
Reasonable Adjustments;
• promoting practices and procedures in that give equal opportunities to everyone;
• working as appropriate with the WSET® to develop measures to identify and prevent 
inequality of opportunity for candidate;
• ensuring, to the best of our ability, that any documentation produced does not contain language or images which may be regarded as offensive or stereotypical, and reflects the diversity of contemporary society. 
6. Reasonable adjustments 
A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the candidate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. 
BWine, International Wine School seeks to conduct the assessment of all candidates in a way that puts them at no disadvantage, or advantage, over other candidates. 
Reasonable adjustment may involve:

• Adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in large text format

• Re-organising the assessment room, such as removal of visual stimuli for an autistic candidate. Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the candidate access to the qualification. The use of reasonable adjustment will not be taken into consideration during the assessment of a candidate’s work. Out of fairness to all candidates, evidence on the grounds of race, sex, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment,

disability, religion or beliefs, age or sexual orientation of the individual circumstances giving rise to the request must be produced. BWine, International Wine School will:
-identify any special assessment needs at the time of candidate registration.
– inform WSET® Awards at the earliest opportunity so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
– agree the specific arrangements for the examination, or for marking with WSET® Awards, which will vary according to individual circumstances. WSET® Awards reserves the right to seek the advice of independent agencies as appropriate in coming to a decision on specific arrangements and must agree before any reasonable adjustments are offered by BWine, International Wine School to its students.
• Please submit any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments at least 8 weeks before the date of the examination. BWine, International Wine School will forward any Requests for Reasonable Adjustments to WSET® Awards within 5 working days of receipt and WSET® Awards will respond after 4 working weeks after giving the request due consideration.
• Candidates and their advisors should also be aware:
– that it is not appropriate to make requests for special arrangements where the candidate’s particular difficulty directly affects performance in the actual attributes that are the focus of the assessment.
– reasonable adjustments will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom reasonable adjustments are not being made, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification.

7. Special consideration
Special consideration is an action taken after an assessment to allow candidates who have been disadvantaged by temporary illness, injury, indisposition or adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment to demonstrate attainment.
A candidate may be eligible for special considerations if:
• Performance in an examination is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the candidate. This may include recent personal illness, accident, bereavement or examination room conditions;
• alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate;
• the application of special consideration would not mislead the end-user of the certificate. WSET® Awards must be notified in writing within seven days of the examination date where special consideration is being requested using the Request for Special Consideration. Eligibility will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation, and please allow extra time for BWine, International Wine School to pass your request to WSET® Awards.
• Where a candidate is unable to attend an examination due to recent personal illness, accident or bereavement, the APP will endeavour to transfer the candidate to an alternative examination date at no extra cost. Transfer will only be considered if accompanied by supporting independent documentation,. such as medical certificate or similar document. In cases of serious disruption during the examination, the Examinations Officer of BWine, International Wine School must submit a detailed report of the circumstances and candidates affected to the Examinations Administrator at WSET® Awards, in addition to the Examination Papers. It is also our policy that special considerations will not give unfair advantage over candidates for whom special considerations are not

being applied, or alter the assessment demands of the qualification as detailed in the qualification specification. If a candidate is unable to attend an examination for which they have been registered due to circumstances outside their direct control, they should notify BWine, International Wine School as soon as possible, and
complete the Request for deferral form submitting written 3rd party evidence to support their application. Failure to attend due to work commitments does not qualify under our “extenuating circumstances”. BWine, International Wine School will not charge an unused paper fee for applications where approval from WSET® Awards is granted.

8. Malpractice and maladministration
BWine, International Wine School will ensure that their programme for the delivery and administration of any WSET® qualification complies in all respects to the rules, regulations and procedures set out in the WSET® APP Operating Handbook. All WSET® examinations run by BWine, International Wine School will be administered in line with the Centre Agreement, Code of Practice and Invigilation Instructions provided in the Operating handbook, and Examination Regulations issued to all APPs and Students in the Qualification Specifications. Failure to abide by these criteria will be considered Malpractice and or Maladministration and may affect our ability to continue teaching WSET® qualifications. Malpractice can arise from any act, omission, event, incident or circumstance that prejudices learners, affects public confidence in qualifications, affects the standards of qualifications which the awarding body makes available or affects the ability of the awarding body to undertake the development, delivery or award of qualifications. Maladministration relates to a failure by the APP to offer WSET® Qualifications in accordance with the rules, regulations and operating procedures set out in this Handbook Programme Providers must have in place procedures for dealing with instances of Malpractice and Maladministration should they arise. These policies will be made available to WSET® Awards upon request, and form part of the criteria which must be met to become an APP.
The headings below list categories of maladministration by the staff of the APP and malpractice by APP staff and / or candidates which may adversely affect the integrity of WSET® qualifications and certification. These examples are not exhaustive and are intended as guidance to APPs and their candidates on the WSET® ’s definition of malpractice and maladministration.
Malpractice will include, but is not limited to: • Actual or attempted Plagiarism, or cheating, of any nature by candidates;
• Use or attempted use of any reference material or electronic devise during a closed book examination • Disruptive behaviour by candidates in the examination;
• Candidates in breach of published Examination Regulations and APP in breach of invigilation rules or the Code of Conduct;
• Fraudulent use of WSET® certificates;
• A deliberate attempt to discredit the WSET® , or to bring the WSET® into disrepute in any way;
• Issue of bogus examination results;
• Insecure storage of examination papers;
• Unauthorised amendment, copying or distribution of examination papers;
• Use of unapproved or ineligible educators to deliver a qualification course, or use of un- authorised internal assessors

• Change of examination location or altered facilities so they no longer meet the required standards; • Failure to administer examination in line with the assessment requirements;
• Denial of access to resources (premises, records, information, candidates and staff) by authorised WSET® representatives and / or the Regulatory Authorities;
Maladministration will include, but is not limited to:
• Failure to follow procedures or adhere to regulations as laid out in the APP Operating Handbook;
• Failure to return examination papers within the required timeframe or Returning exam papers by regular post and not recorded delivery or trackable courier;
• Failure to issues results to candidates in a timely manner
• Breach or infringement of WSET® copyright and trademarks;
• Non-payment of fees for WSET® services or examinations;
• Breach of the Conflicts of Interest Policy
• Breach of the Centre Agreement or APP Code of Conduct;
• A change in control of the APP that results in new management being unable to meet WSET® Awards criteria; Malpractice is divided into two main categories:
Major Malpractice
Serious and /or deliberate breaches of conduct, or serious neglect of professional duty, represents a high risk to the integrity of the qualification. Major Malpractice could result in the invalidation or revocation of examination results to a student and / or approval of the APP. WSET® Awards will take all appropriate action as directed by the Regulatory Authority, which may include notification to other Awarding Bodies. An example of Major Malpractice would be, ‘Fraudulent use of WSET® certificates and the issue of false examination results’ or ‘Unauthorised amendment, copying or distribution of examination papers’.
Minor Malpractice
Minor and /or accidental breaches of conduct or neglect of professional duty, or those more major breaches not considered to be deliberate or malicious in intent, represents a lower risk to the integrity of the qualification and would not affect examination results or certification. Examples of minor malpractice could include, ‘failure to follow
procedures laid out in the Operating Handbook’ or ‘Change of examination location or altered facilities so they no longer meet the required standards’.
Reporting Malpractice
BWine, International Wine School will report any potential case of malpractice by candidates, educators, invigilators or centre staff to WSET® Awards at qa@wsetglobal.com immediately using the Notification of Potential Malpractice Form.

Failure to do so may result in the refusal to issue results and Certification to candidates or the invalidation of examination results .
Malpractice may be reported to WSET® Awards by a WSET® Awards appointed Approval Visitor. In this instance the APP will be advised during the approval visit that a case of Malpractice is being reported.
WSET® Awards will also act upon reports of suspected or actual malpractice received from candidates or other parties regarding an APP’s activities or personnel which may affect the integrity of WSET® qualifications.
WSET® Awards responsibility
WSET® Awards will confirm receipt of a report of suspected or actual malpractice within 3 working days.
Should a case of malpractice be raised with WSET® Awards against the Programme Provider, the main contact, or other appropriate person within the management of the APP, will be notified and invited to respond prior to further action being taken. Notwithstanding the foregoing, WSET® Awards reserves the right to immediately suspend an APP’s approval if, after consultation with the WSET® ’s Chief Executive, it is decided that such a suspension is required to protect the reputation of the WSET® , and to prevent any possible re-occurence of the alleged malpractice. In such circumstances, the APP will be notified immediately and will be required to co- operate with the WSET® whilst the alleged malpractice is investigated.
WSET® Awards will appoint a suitably trained officer to investigate the alleged malpractice and this officer will request supporting evidence from the APP, Candidate or
other parties to validate the report of suspected or actual malpractice.
When supporting evidence has been supplied, WSET® Awards will conduct a full investigation of the suspected or actual malpractice to identify the cause and to determine whether malpractice has actually occurred.
Where it is determined that malpractice has occurred, a report will be filed. This will include whether the malpractice is accidental or deliberate, and represents a major or minor threat to the integrity of the qualification, and specify any sanctions that are to be applied to the APP, their staff or the candidate concerned. If malpractice has been alleged against a candidate, a summary of the investigation and the findings will be sent to the candidate; if the malpractice has been alleged against the APP the summary will be sent to the Main Contact, and the candidate or APP Main Contact will be advised of the sanctions being imposed. They will also be advised of the General Appeals Policy should they wish to appeal the decision that has been made.
Any case of malpractice that threatens the integrity of the qualification, results issued or certification will be reported to the Regulatory Authority, and following discussion with the Regulatory Authority, other Awarding Bodies may be notified.
Where the report is the result of an internal investigation by the APP, WSET® Awards will review all the documentation supplied and action taken to ensure that any decisions made by the APP are valid and conform to this policy. WSET® Awards may request additional information to determine whether any additional sanctions should be applied to the APP, their staff or the candidate concerned.
Our responsibility as the APP which we agree to carry out in full
The APP Main Contact is responsible for ensuring that all staff involved in the delivery and / or administration of the WSET® programme run it in accordance with the rules, regulations and procedures set out in this manual, and are aware of, and comply with, this policy. The APP must also establish their own framework of controls and checks that in their opinion is adequate to minimise and identify any instances of malpractice and is fit for purpose of reporting and investigating any alleged malpractice. Should an APP require help in establishing a framework that will prevent, investigate and deal with Malpractice, please contact awards@wset.co.uk
The main Contact agrees to co-operate fully with WSET® Awards in any investigation of
alleged malpractice at the APP including the removal and / or suspension of staff from their WSET® duties during such investigation.

Sanctions
In cases of alleged malpractice or maladministration WSET® Awards has the right to apply sanctions. This may include suspend an APP’s approval with immediate effect if such action is approved by the Chief Executive of the WSET® whilst an investigation is carried out. Following an investigation by WSET® Awards, it may be necessary to apply one or more of the following sanctions against the APP and/or their staff.
• Creation of an action plan / letter of warning;
• Completion of a self-assessment form by the APP;

• Completion of an APP re-approval visit (travel costs may be charged to the APP);
• Mandatory re-training of educators and / or assessors;

• Application of administration charges;
• Withdrawal of internal assessment permissions;
• Invalidation of examination results / certification;

• Withdrawal or temporary suspension of approval to offer a specific WSET® qualification;

• Withdrawal or temporary suspension of approval to offer all WSET® qualifications;

• Withholding examination results that are under investigation;

• Rejection of orders for further materials or examination papers;

• Withdrawal of credit facilities, and moving account to a “cash on order” basis;

• Charging of interest on overdue amounts.
Where progress to the next level of severity following the guidelines of the NVQ Code of Practice.
It is WSET® Awards intent that no learner should be disadvantaged by any instance of malpractice or maladministration that has arisen by the actions (or non-action) of the APP. However where such breach undermines the integrity of the assessment process, it may be necessary to invalidate the exam that has been held and require the APP to arrange a free resit for candidates at their convenience.
Following an investigation by WSET® Awards, it may be necessary to apply one of more of the following sanctions against an individual candidate or candidates.
• Letter of warning;

• The disallowing of an examination result;

• The invalidation of a certificate and/or unit certificate and recall of certification already issued;
• Refusal of entry to future WSET® qualifications.
All decisions with regard to malpractice will be communicated in writing within 20 working days following receipt of supporting documentation. Where it is not possible to respond within this timeframe, a written response will be given providing a date for completion.
Any candidate, educator, invigilator or APP has the right to appeal any decision made against them using the General Appeals section of this handbook.