LSBU response to Sunday Times article, 26 October
LSBU operates rigorous progression procedures that require a student to have accumulated the required credit within the required time to be eligible for the award for which he or she is enrolled. A student who has exhausted the permitted number of attempts at assessment, and who does not satisfy the Award and Progression Examination Board that there are valid and exceptional reasons for poor performance, is required to withdraw from the programme.
Non-completion rates for nursing courses nationally are high, and the Nursing Standard has reported that the average attrition rate across the UK in 2010 was 28 per cent, an increase from 26 per cent in 2008, and 25 per cent in 2006. Drop-out rates from the BSc Mental Health Nursing course at LSBU is no higher than elsewhere in the UK.
BSc Mental Health Nursing students are informed in each module which contains numeracy in the module guide, on the virtual learning environment and in teaching and that the pass mark is incremental across the years: Year 1 is 60%, Year 2 is 80% and Year 3 is 100%.
Not all students who meet the entry requirements for nursing courses at any university find that they are able to meet the demands of the course. LSBU provides excellent support for students both in theory and in practice to ensure they have the best chances of success, and the University has a proud tradition of widening participation and has developed specialist support for students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse entry qualifications, skills and experience.
However, it is vital that the university balance this with its responsibility to ensure that those who are not fit to practice or who are unable to demonstrate that they have achieved the required standards of skills and knowledge do not progress into a profession where they will be responsible for patient care.