Level 2 Early Years Practitioner standard
Proposed revisions

Impact assessment

The proposals come with a number of drawbacks that are summarised below. 

Knowledge test removal

TQUK does not support the removal of the knowledge test. A multiple-choice question test is a valid assessment method for level 2 apprentices. The ability to undertake this assessment online with flexibility supports both employers and apprentices to manage the undertaking of this assessment.   

Professional discussion

TQUK supports the continued inclusion of the professional discussion assessment. Underpinned by a portfolio of apprentices’ work collated during their apprenticeship, this assessment offers apprentices an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their occupational competence.

The ability to undertake this assessment remotely allows us to deliver it in a cost-effective manner and does not require employers to provide an assessment area within their premises that meets exam conditions. Our flexibility around assessment scheduling means apprentices can request an assessment time outside of their usual working hours, therefore not impacting staffing levels within their setting.   

At present, TQUK conducts the professional discussion assessment remotely (unless face-to-face is requested). Should the proposed plan be accepted and onsite observation assessment introduced, to avoid additional costs of conducting the professional discussion assessment remotely on a separate day, both assessments would, by default, be scheduled to take place on the same day at the employer’s premises.  

The apprentice would need to be released from their duties to undertake this assessment alongside their observation assessment, including a suitable break in between. This may lead to additional staffing requirements and therefore increased costs.  

Additionally, the employer must provide a controlled environment for the assessment to take place, which we envisage may not always be feasible given the nature of the industry.  

Observation of practice

TQUK does not support the addition of an onsite observation assessment. We have already offered our feedback on this to IfATE, and include a summary of that feedback below.

• While observation of practice is a reliable form of evidence, a single pre-planned 50-minute observation does not necessarily reflect consistent good practice over time, as required by the current mandatory qualification, which is now being removed.  This brief observation only provides a snapshot of performance on a specific day, which may not accurately represent the apprentice's typical practice.   

• An observation is burdensome for the apprentice, the employer, and the children, limiting the scheduling flexibility for the EPA to be only when the setting is open and would require consent to be gained from parents/carers, all of which would extend the overall delivery timeline, and increasing costs and environmental impact due to the assessment requiring to be undertaken at the employers premises.