The role of the veterinary schools and the RCVS

As the professional regulator, the RCVS oversees and upholds the quality of veterinary degree programmes through its accreditation standards.

On this page

• How the RCVS regulates standards
• The responsibilities of vet schools regarding standards
• Flow chart: the RCVS's role in education and learning

How the RCVS regulates standards 

Our accreditation process involves a comprehensive review of evidence regarding the programme's quality, collected through a variety of methods. We use a risk-based approach, and ensure that standards are being maintained through annual reporting.

Our standards relevant to admissions, along with the support and welfare of students during their academic journey, are vital in ensuring that veterinary schools comply with equality legislation when accrediting courses. Additionally, it is an essential requirement for students to demonstrate Day One Competency across relevant species to guarantee safe practices and promote animal health and welfare.

These standards include, but are not limited to:

• Vet schools must actively promote and maintain a culture that does not discriminate and enhances diversity, consistent with applicable law across all sites where learning takes place - Standard 2.4.
• Vet schools are required to have effective processes in place to support the physical, emotional and welfare needs of students - Standard 4.1.
• Vet schools must have a strategy for widening participation which considers all aspects of diversity - Standard 4.2.
• Vet schools are required to have clear policies and procedures in place as to how applicants with disabilities or illness will be considered and, if appropriate, accommodated on the programme. These must take into account the requirement that all students must be capable of meeting the RCVS Day One Competences by the time they graduate - Standard 4.6.
• Vet schools are required to demonstrate that only students who are fully Day One Competent are able to graduate - Standard 3.14.

The responsibilities of vet schools concerning standards

Vet schools are responsible for meeting the RCVS accreditation standards, and for making reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, in line with equality legislation. This means that schools must consider and make decisions on requests from students, staff and applicants for reasonable adjustments in order to remove the barriers individuals may face because of their disability. These may include deciding whether and how changes could be made to the way the programme is implemented.

Vet schools must consider all requests for reasonable adjustments, but they only have a legal obligation to make adjustments which are considered reasonable - for more details, see Examples of reasonable adjustments and support.

Vet schools should agree individualised reasonable adjustments in collaboration with the student and put these in place where appropriate.

The RCVS's role in education and training

The flow chart below provides further information on the role of the RCVS in the regulation of:

• veterinary school admissions;
• studying and graduating;
• registration; and 
• continuing training.