The initial assessment is the most important part of apprenticeships

When you think about the secrets to success within apprenticeships, it's easy to focus on highly tangible milestones like individual achievements, and successfully making it through End Point Assessment.  

But there's actually a lesser-known hallmark of successful delivery - an effective initial assessment.  

Initial assessments are designed to ensure, each apprentice is on the right programme and include eligibility checks, English and Maths attainment and any additional learning support. You'll identify each apprentice's existing level of competence and training - so you can map out their apprenticeship journey effectively.  

The insights you gain impact everything, from curriculum delivery, to distance travelled and milestones. And this knowledge can also help you to secure ESFA funding and stay the right side of Ofsted inspections - but preventing any duplication of learning.  

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

As part of the initial assessment, providers complete the RPL - designed to establish the apprentice's starting point. Once you know this, you can personalise the curriculum delivery to ensure apprentices cover all Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) in the standard without repeating any learning. 

Planning off-the-job training

Once you've completed the RPL with apprentices, and understand their level of competence, you'll know the expected duration of the apprenticeship. You can then calculate how many contracted hours they're likely to complete on programme. And from there, you can work out how many hours they'll need to spend learning 'off the job' to meet the minimum requirement.  

It sounds complicated - but the initial assessment will give you clear answers on how to move forward.  

Set, meet and reward milestones

A requirement of apprenticeship programmes is that learners must work towards milestones, which must be agreed, captured and monitored by the provider.   

Once you have completed the RPL, you'll be well-placed to set appropriate and personalized milestones for each apprentice and give them the rewards they deserve. That's important because a milestone for one apprentice, with prior experience might be easy - while for another, it might be a big achievement.  

ESFA funding

This is a big one. The ESFA says; 'Apprenticeship funding should not be used to pay for, or accredit, existing knowledge, skills and behaviours.' As such, the ESFA expects providers to assess every apprentice's prior learning and reduce how much funding they claim accordingly. 

If the ESFA finds that providers have not fully accounted for prior learning or have overclaimed for an apprentice, they can claw funding back - a nightmare scenario, but sadly not uncommon.  

The best solution is to complete a rigorous RPL so you get funding claims right first time. 

Ofsted inspections

Ofsted requires that providers deliver programmes of learning, tailored to meet the needs of individual apprentices. Ofsted also wants to see that tutors have identified areas for stretch and challenge, provided evidence of progression, and taken steps to avoid duplication of learning. 

You can achieve all this by establishing apprentices' starting point in the initial assessment. Without this, you wouldn't be able to show the distance apprentices have travelled - which could impact your Ofsted ratings, and put you at risk of having funding clawed back. 

It's made slightly complicated because the ESFA has only stated that RPL needs to be done - it hasn't explained how. OneFile believe the best approaches are built on data but recognise that the initial assessment process is open to interpretation - so we'd love to know how you're doing it. 

With OneFile's RPL Funding Calculator, you can recognise prior learning remotely, adjust funding claims according to RPL, and check potential applicants' suitability online. It's cost-effective, convenient and compliant. You'll have auditable evidence of each applicant's RPL, and clear, audit-ready reports to show Ofsted and the ESFA how you've adjusted you funding claims according to prior learning. 

To find out how you can use the RPL Funding Calculator in your centre, download your free guide.