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A Brief History

Open College Network South West Region (OCNSWR) is a national Awarding Organisation, set up and operating as a social enterprise. In December 2010 OCNSWR was approved by Ofqual, the regulatory authority for qualifications in England, as a recognised Awarding Organisation in their own right.  This enables us to develop new fundable qualifications within the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). 

OCNSWR is also licensed independently by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education to award the Access to HE Diploma.

OCNSWR historically has been and remains a part of a national network of Open College Networks (OCNs), who operate under licence to the National Open College Network (NOCN) and we offer NOCN qualifications to our recognised centres. A meeting of Manchester City Council and education partners on the 1st December 1981 formalised the creation of the first 'Open College Network', as such organisations became known as later in the decade.  OCNSWR itself was formed in 2005 after a merger of Western Region Open College Network and Open College Network South West (previously South West Access Federation). 

“Open College Networks are one of the greatest education successes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries”– Karan Green, former Chief Executive of NOCN.

The history of Access to HE in the region dates back to 1990 when the Western Counties Access Partnership was formed, which later became Open College Network West.  In 1993 the South West Access Federation was formed, which later became Open College Network South West.  In  September 2003, as part of its ongoing commitment to widening participation and access into Higher Education in the Northern sub-region of the South West and as a member of the Western Partnership for Widening Participation (WP4WP), Western Region Open College Network (WROCN) began working towards the development of a common sub-regional Access Framework. In 2005,  Open College Network South West merged with Western Region Open College Network to create OCNSWR, which is now the main Access Validating Agency for the region, licensed by QAA to award the Access to HE Diploma.

2012 marks the 25th Anniversary of NOCN and the 30th year of OCNs. OCNs were established to recognise learners’ achievement that might not otherwise be recognised and have become leading Awarding Organisations for accrediting alternative curriculum, Foundation Learning and developing a wide range of QCF qualifications.  The OCN network works in partnership and through licensing arrangements in each of the English regions and in Northern Ireland. The network also works in partnership with Agored Cymru for the delivery of NOCN qualifications in Wales.

There are now over 2500 centres nationally offering NOCN qualifications and/or OCN accredited provision. There are currently over 250 NOCN qualifications on both the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). These qualifications are suitable for learners at all levels of achievement from Basic and Life Skills up to entry into Higher Education and beyond. OCNs have always supported accreditation and progression for learners from all walks of life, especially those who are disadvantaged or returning to learning. We were the first Awarding Organisation to offer unitised qualifications, which allows for manageable bite-sized learning, progression, and the building up of credits and achievements for the individual learner.

In 2007, as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, we commissioned, with NIACE, a short narrative history of our origins and the work which has been undertaken by NOCN and OCNs during this time.  You can download a copy of this document here.