Prior attainment/prove of previous learning

 Evidence from the PLR should be sufficient but prior attainment has no funding implications for Apprenticeships but See the following from the funding rules:

P368.3 Your assessment and evidence of eligibility for funding and a record of what evidence the apprentice has provided, including that the apprenticeship leads to substantive new skills and that the learning is materially different where the apprenticeship is at the same level as, or lower level than, prior qualifications. This assessment must include an analysis of the apprentice’s existing knowledge, skills and behaviours versus those required to complete the apprenticeship. This also includes evidence of prior attainment for English and maths. This evidence could include the following:

P368.3.1 information from the apprentice’s personal learning record, where this information is unavailable or an apprentice is unable to provide evidence of prior attainment please refer to get a replacement exam certificate on GOV.UK;

P368.3.2 evidence of proof of equivalency from UK ENIC where an individual has an international qualification;

P368.3.3 details of previous qualifications, including modules / units undertaken compared to the content of the apprenticeship, demonstrating how they are materially different where appropriate;

P368.3.4 skills gap analysis, demonstrating the new skills needed by the individual and how the apprenticeship will address these; or

P368.3.5 details of any relevant experience and achievements, both inside and outside their current working role.

A PLR statement from the LRS is perfectly acceptable as evidence of achievement. Per the guidance on English and Maths qualifications from the ESFA (here), the PLR must state;

These types of evidence must contain as a minimum: the apprentice’s full name, the full name of qualification (including awarding organisation name and/or qualification number), the grade awarded (where applicable), and the date of achievement. In some cases, providers may need to validate the date of birth of the apprentice though other appropriate evidence.

As far as recording the Prior Attainment is concerned, it's only really collected so that the ESFA can perform value-added analysis and to ensure funding and delivery is targeted at key groups. As long as you've performed an assessment of prior learning before the learner started their new programme and have taken RPL into account, you'll be fine. 

Apprentices- Yes or check their PLR.

For AEB its more important when its linked to a legal entitlement i.e first L2. We dont tend to check if its not legal entitlement, we accept a self declaration

For FS I think there might be something in the rules that says learners can repeat FS courses.

For other courses you cant be funded more than once for the same learning aim.

Re the L3- no as long as its not the same L3 that is linked to their Apprenticeship

Thank you Kelly Knights and Ben James for your replies, very helpful :)