Apprenticeship end-point assessments: change to starts policy for new standards being approved
Published 28 June 2019
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2019
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-end-point-assessments-change-to-starts-policy-for-new-standards-being-approved/apprenticeship-end-point-assessments-change-to-starts-policy-for-new-standards-being-approved
1. Changes coming in October 2019
From 1 October 2019 the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will not fund apprentices to start on a new standard until an End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) has given an ‘in principle’ commitment to deliver the EPA.
To support this change, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) will require trailblazers to engage with potential EPAOs earlier in the standard development process.
These EPAOs will be asked to complete a new form to share information about their intent to apply to the Register of End-Point Assessment Organisations (RoEPAO) to deliver the assessment against the specific apprenticeship standard.
Until this form is received by the ESFA, or an EPAO has made a successful application to the register (whichever is earliest), no learners will be funded to begin learning on the standard.
The ‘in principle’ organisation will still need to make a successful application to the Register of End-Point Assessment Organisations (RoEPAO) before they will be able to assess apprentices who are on the programme.
The ‘in principle’ agreement will mean the ESFA can have greater confidence that there will be an EPAO on the register for every apprenticeship standard as quickly as possible and as soon as they will be needed.
IfATE and ESFA can offer support and guidance to both trailblazers and EPAOs to complete these forms, and can help you get in touch with the right EPAO.
2. Existing standards
ESFA continues to welcome applications to the RoEPAO and will support applications from existing and new EPAOs for standards that have already been approved.
We will work to get in principle agreements for standards where no EPAO is already in the market for a standard and are working towards full coverage of standards on the RoEPAO.
If it is not possible to find EPAOs for standards we are prepared to temporarily stop funding new starts onto apprenticeships on that standard if necessary and appropriate, but will give notice if that is the case.
Trailblazers, providers or employers struggling to identify an EPAO to work with, or to deliver for a standard, should contact the ESFA – apprentice.assessment@education.gov.uk.