End-point assessment (EPA) newsletter updates
Updated on [22/09/2024]
September 2024 EPA newsletter
NCFE and Active IQ EPAO integration update
In April 2024, we shared the decision to integrate the NCFE and Active IQ end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) into one single EPAO, regulated through NCFE. We’re sharing more information about this on a regular basis so please look out for emails coming from our Relationship team about platform changes, key dates and support.
Gateway and bookings
Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Apprenticeship Funding Rules 2024-2025
The ESFA has recently published the 2024-2025 Apprenticeship Funding Rules that came into effect from 1 August 2024.
The rule (equivalent gradings) has been updated to reflect the latest gov.uk guidance. The grading change clarifies that GCSE grade D to G or 3 to 1 are equivalent to a Level 1 qualification, and therefore apprentices holding these grades have met the requirement to hold a Level 1 in English and maths. This change will apply to both new starts from 1 August 2024, and apprentices who are currently on-programme.
The ESFA has confirmed they will be updating the English and maths requirements in apprenticeship standards at level 2 and above in due course.
Delivery and assessments
Business Administrator evidence tracker
We’d like to remind you to use the updated evidence tracker stored on the Resources Library, released in March 2024, to reflect the Business Fundamentals criteria no longer being assessed within the portfolio-based interview. You can download the latest version of the evidence tracker from the Resources Library.
Employability Practitioner assessments
Remind your Employability Practitioner apprentices during their Gateway preparation meeting that they need to complete the Q&A session after the observation. The Q&A session must be completed in a room that is quiet and free from distraction, so the assessment can be conducted under exam conditions.
Clinical Coder and Prosthetic and Orthotic Technician
We’ve decided to withdraw from the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) for the following standards from 1 October 2024:
- Clinical Coder
- Prosthetic and Orthotic Technician.
Please get in touch with the Relationship Team if you have any further questions at [email protected].
Quality and compliance
Reasonable adjustments
Read our top tips to support you when completing reasonable adjustment forms, to avoid delays and ensure you’ve shared all the information we need. You should include:
Details of the reasonable adjustments being selected: These should match the SEPA drop down list.
- A description of the apprentice’s disabilities and/or conditions where appropriate: This should include the type of disability and how it affects the apprentice.
- Relevant supporting evidence: We require the supporting evidence that the apprentice has available historically, and/or during EPA. The apprentice may have had previous support plans such as an EHCP, a SEN or a medical consultant report. If there are no supporting documents, please share with us information on what measures have been put in place on programme to support the apprentice. Types of evidence that could be submitted are support plans or cognitive reports. Unfortunately, we cannot accept a self-diagnosis or a statement confirming that an apprentice may benefit from a reasonable adjustment.
- Information on how reasonable adjustments are currently used: The apprentice will most likely have had support in assessment either historically or during the on-programme element of their apprenticeship. The use of reasonable adjustments could also be in use in the apprentice’s workplace. This section covers what they have done during the on-programme element and how this reasonable adjustment currently supports the apprentice. The details must evidence what the reasonable adjustment is, how it is currently used, and how it’ll support the apprentice in assessment. Knowing what kind of disability or condition the apprentice has will help us to understand what methods they can be used in, and how we can support.
If you have any queries on reasonable adjustments, please contact our Relationship team.