Degree planned end date

It depends on the assessment plan for the standard, there may be a requirement for an examination board as part of the EPA after training has been completed, in general it would still be the planned end date of training.

HTH

Thanks Martin.

My other issue is recording the learning actual end date. The integrated  (not aligned) degrees that we deal with have the EPA as a module. Surely this means that we cannot then mark the Main Aim (degree) as completed until the EPA module has also been completed, as this forms a part of the degree itself? We couldn't, for instance, mark it as completed once the learner had completed the penultimate module (the one before the EPA module) because the aim isn't finished at that point? Does this make sense?

The programme planned end date is recorded on the Programme aim for the Apprenticeship not the component aim for the Degree.

The actual end date for the programme aim is entered when the training is complete, the actual end date for the Degree is when the EPA module is completed, which may be the same as the achievement date on the Programme aim.

HTH

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying that programme aim can have an actual end date before the main aim (degree)?

On the basis that the EPA module is presumably not classed as 'training', we'd be adding an actual end date to the programme aim when they finish the penultimate module (e.g. on 01/07/2022) but then not adding an actual end date to the degree until after the EPA module has finished (e.g. on 01/10/2022)

Would this not error as an R89?

Yes when some credits for the Degree are included in the EPA module.

HTH

I've just processed one with these dates (as a test) and ran it through the preliminary validation on SLD and it's come back with;

Ahhh yes it’s the training actual end date so on the Degree aim it would not include the EPA module so would be the same as the Programme actual end date as this is EPA not training and you would record it as 2 and 8 until the EPA module has been completed.

HTH

Hi Ben/Martin - I'm following this thread with interest as I've been raising exactly the same questions internally.

You've proved that AED for the programme aim can't be before the AED for the component aim (degree). I can see what Martin is saying in his last post but wouldn't that mean the AED for the degree would be before the degree had actually finished as it would exclude the EPA module (presuming EPA module carries credits?)

Can I ask how you breakdown your EPA costs too? Do you include the costs for your EPA module in TNP2 or in TNP1?

wouldn't that mean the AED for the degree would be before the degree had actually finished as it would exclude the EPA module (presuming EPA module carries credits?)

Technically yes, you'd effectively be artificially partitioning the degree into 'training modules' and 'EPA module'. I do agree with Martin though; as recording the main aim (degree) as 2/8 with the actual end date being the date of the penultimate module would reflect the end of training, which matches the wording of that completion status. The outcome also reflects that learning has concluded, and you'd just update this once the EPA module (and potentially assessment board) had concluded, as well as adding the achievement date accordingly.

Can I ask how you breakdown your EPA costs too? Do you include the costs for your EPA module in TNP2 or in TNP1?

We include EPA costs in TNP2, whether this exists as an independent assessment (non-integrated) or as a module/embedded within the degree (integrated/integrated-aligned)

Thanks Ben

Hi 

I have queried this with the ESFA previously and with many trailblazers. 

We use 3 dates; 

• Start date
• Practical period end date
• Apprenticeship end date. 

The practical period end (PPE) date is always our estimated 'gateway' date - so for non-integrated that's generally the award board. This is the expected end date we put in the ILR. 

The apprenticeship planned end (APE) date is the number of months the Assessment Plan says the EPA takes, and this is added onto the PPE date. This doesn't go into the ILR - it's more just for our / learner / employer reporting & planning purposes. 

For Integrated degree apprenticeships, we also use the estimated Gateway date, as this is still the PPE date. Example, our Nursing Associate programme is fully integrated and just goes through an award board and the NMC need to be notified within 1 month. The AP says we must 'confirm' the degree modules are ready for board (EPA) - so we do the gateway declaration once the last module has been 'marked' and we know it's proceeding to board. Date examples;

• Start date - 1st March 2020
• Last module submission deadline 15th Jan 2022
• Add 4 weeks on for academic marking the last submission - 15th Feb 22
• Gateway meeting / declaration 16th Feb 22 (end of practical period - ILR end date)
• Award board 28th Feb 22
• HEI informs NMC that apprentice has achieved no later than 28th March 22. (APE date - internal reporting/monitoring only). 

For integrated EPAs with synoptic assessment required; example, Advanced Clinical Practitioner is a 180 credit degree, with 20 credits being attributed to an EPA module, spanning 3 months, we set the dates as follows; 

• Start date - 1st March 2020
• Last module submission for 160 credit deadline 15th Jan 2022
• Add 4 weeks on for academic marking the last submission - 15th Feb 22
• 'partial' award board (160 credit) 28th Feb 22
• Gateway confirmation 1st March 22 (PPE date) 
• 3 month EPA takes place - 31st May 22 (APE date)