Standard
Code
ST0864/AP01
Maximum Funding
£9000
Typical
Duration
24 months (this does not include EPA period)
Level
4
Standard
EPA Price*
£1800
EQA Provider
Ofqual
End-Point Assessment Requirements
English and maths
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.
Project with Presentation, Practical Demonstration and Questioning
This assessment method has 3 components. The apprentice will research, design and launch a product line or menu, from concept to presentation of dishes, appropriate to the business:
● A project brief will be supplied to the apprentice by the end-point assessment organisation within 5 days of the Gateway meeting The employer will provide the EPAO with an Employer Overview at the Gateway which will provide a summary of the employer’s business context to enable the EPAO to select a suitable project for the apprentice
● The project requires the apprentice to research, design and launch a product line or menu which meets the needs of the business, is relevant to their role
● The apprentice has a maximum of 8 weeks from receiving the brief to conduct and submit their project to the EPAO
● The project has a maximum word limit of 5,000 (excluding product evidence and appendices). A tolerance of +/- 10% is allowed
● The project must allow for the inclusion of 9 identified dishes for development.
● The apprentice will deliver a presentation of their project outcomes to the end-point assessor
● The presentation will typically take 15 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of questions from the end-point assessor
● The presentation can be delivered in any format, for example, slides, mood board, sample menus, product descriptions, photos
● The practical assessment will require the apprentice to produce 4 complete dishes from the 9 identified in their project
● The total time for the practical assessment is 3 hours +10% at the discretion of the end-point assessor
● The apprentice will be asked a minimum of 8 questions by the end-point assessor within the practical assessment time.
Professional Discussion Underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence
The professional discussion focusses on knowledge, skills and behaviours such as teamwork, diversity, communication, finance, legislation, processes, problem-solving, development needs, brand values, marketing, business culture and personal development and achievements.
● The underpinning portfolio of evidence is completed during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship and must be submitted to the EPAO at the gateway
● The portfolio must contain evidence related and mapped to the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will be assessed by the professional discussion
● The portfolio will typically contain 20 pieces of evidence and could contain annotated workplace documents, witness testimonies, annotated photographs, and video clips. It should not contain any methods of self-assessment/self-reflection by the apprentice
● The end-point assessor will review the portfolio of evidence and use it to identify areas for the discussion – it is not directly assessed
● The professional discussion assessment time is 60 minutes + 10% at the discretion of the end-point assessor
● The apprentice will be asked a minimum of 8 open questions plus follow up questions to draw out further evidence
● The portfolio must be available to the apprentice, in order that the apprentice can refer or draw on its contents to support the discussion
● Webinar or video conferencing software can be used for the assessment.
Available Resources
- Training provider resource library
- EPA Specification (click to view)
- PAL Guide – Making the Apprenticeship Journey Successful (click to view)
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.