Standard
Code

ST0888 v1.1 

Maximum Funding

£5000

Typical
Duration

12 months

Level

2

Standard
EPA Price*

£1000

External Quality Assurance Body

Ofqual

*This price represents our maximum charge for the standard EPA (excluding reassessment). Please get in touch to discuss potential discounts and added value. 

End-Point Assessment Requirements

English and maths

Before an apprentice can progress to end-point assessment, they must have achieved English and maths qualifications in line with the apprenticeship funding rules. 

Effective from 11 February 2025, the government has removed the mandatory English and maths functional skills requirement for apprentices aged 19 and above who start their apprenticeship training. This change includes apprentices who are currently on the programme.

The new ruling applies to apprentices on programme and all apprentices starting their programmes from February 2025.

Employers and apprentices must agree by 1st April 2025 whether apprentices aged 19 and above on programme will continue studying English and maths.

  • Providers must record the decision in the training plan.
  • Apprentices must continue their studies until an agreement is made.

It is worth noting that whilst the mandatory requirement for English and Maths has been removed, apprentices and employers can still choose to receive English and Maths training and participate in the associated tests.

For apprentices under the age of 19 at programme commencement, there is still a requirement to undertake Maths and English training and take functional skills tests.

Observation with Questioning 

  • The observation and questioning of the apprentice completing their day-to-day duties under normal working conditions must take a total of 80 minutes (+10% at the discretion of the independent assessor to allow the apprentice to complete a task or respond to a question if necessary). The observation duration is 50 minutes, and the post-observation questioning duration is 30 minutes. 
  • The independent assessor should observe the following: 
    • The apprentice interacting with children and other adults. 
    • The apprentice supporting children’s learning through facilitating learning opportunities. 
  • The independent assessor must ask at least 5 questions following the observation. The questions are to seek clarification where required and to assess the apprentice’s level of competence against the grading descriptors. 
  • This method of assessment has fail and pass grades. 

Professional Discussion supported by a Portfolio

  • The underpinning portfolio is completed during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship and must be submitted to PAL at Gateway. 
  • The portfolio must contain evidence related and mapped to each of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) that will be assessed by the professional discussion, typically 12 discrete pieces. The evidence should be qualitative as opposed to quantitative and each piece of evidence is likely to demonstrate more than one KSB. 
  • The portfolio may contain observation records from training providers, managers, and peer observations, documentation covering a range of different stages of children’s development, anonymised case records, SEND records, and safeguarding records, risk assessments, records of continuous professional development, practical project work or evidence of feedback to parents. 
  • The portfolio should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment. 
  • The evidence provided must be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio must contain a statement from the employer and apprentice confirming this. 
  • The independent assessor will review the portfolio evidence and use it to identify areas for the professional discussion – it is not directly assessed. 
  • The professional discussion must last for 60 minutes (+10% at the independent assessor’s discretion to allow the apprentice to respond to a question if necessary).  
  • The professional discussion will assess the apprentice’s competence against the themes of: 
    • Well-being and child development. 
    • Safeguarding. 
    • Support the planning and delivery of activities, purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes. 
    • Support children with special educational needs and disabilities. 
    • Own role and development. 
    • Working with others – parents, colleagues, other professionals. 
  • The independent assessor must ask at least 10 questions. 
  • The professional discussion must take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence. 
  • Webinar or video conferencing software can be used for the assessment. 
  • This method of assessment has fail, pass and distinction grades. 
Download Fact Sheet

Available Resources

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How to engage with PAL.

Engaging with PAL couldn’t be easier. Simply contact us at info@professionalassessment.co.uk or on 0800 1601899. Our senior team will contact you to find out about your requirements in more detail and discuss how we might need to adapt our approach to meet your needs. Once you are happy that PAL is the right fit for your programme, we set up your account, share our library of resources and support you to register your apprentices. You can then rest assured that you have a dedicated team on hand to guide you through your EPA journey and provide a responsive service when your apprentices are ready to be assessed.

View the EPA process here:

EPA Process