Functional Skills exemption

Technically yes, that is correct. However, if you have delivered the training in good faith I don’t think you should necessarily have to repay the costs you’ve incurred. You’d just terminate the FS as of the date you’ve received the evidence/notification. You’ll keep the funding up to that point, but forgo any more on the basis you’re now assured the apprentice is exempt.

Hi Ben

 

That was my thoughts too to be honest, but thanks for the clarification 

YES! just flag them as withdrawn on their last learning before they brought their cert in, you can DEFINITELY keep the money!

Steve Hewitt this is great if true though we have been advised differently in the past regarding keeping the funding drawn down and so repay the funding currently.

Would it make a difference if the learner has indicated they have passed the required level even if they haven't provided the exemption evidence?  We have been told we can't claim funding for such learners and so are effectively delivering training and/or putting learners through exams for free in order to gain the evidence.

So, if a learner arrives without certs but says they've passed and you do an initial assessment and it says they're working below L2 (because it's 20 years since they did their GCSE) and there's stuff you have to teach them before they take the test then you can categorically have the money. You can't have the money if they ace the IA and can go straight to taking the test, you only get the money if you have a teaching cost.

Of course, I now can't find where this is written down, but I know I had several conversations with AS about it and they confirmed we can keep the money.

Thanks all for your responses.  We'll now make an informed judgement where these two individuals lie

Thank goodness for this forum!

I'm reviving this post because i've had a query, and i can't find anything written down.

I wanted to see if anyone had ever found anything written down to confirm we can keep funding (to cover teaching) for an apprentice who subsequently produces exemption evidence after several weeks/months of working towards a L2 aim that initial Assessment showed was required. 

Any thoughts would be appreciated

Explicitly written down? Don't think so. However you could probably hang your hat on the below on the basis that the apprentice does not have acceptable evidence, and your initial assessment advised you of the level they must work toward:

Judgement of an apprentice’s current level

46. If an apprentice does not have acceptable evidence of previous attainment of English and / or maths the provider must carry out an assessment of their current level. The provider must use current assessment tools based on the national literacy and numeracy standards and core curriculum or DFE published English and maths Functional Skills subject content. The assessment outcome is used to determine the level the apprentice must start working towards, and does not remove the requirement to achieve the minimum required level in English and maths (see paragraphs 41 to 42).

Does it say you can keep the money if you later find them to be exempt? No, but it also doesn't say you have to give it back..

It's been confirmed several times by ESFA staff on webinars etc but, yes, would be Quite Useful if it was explicitly written down somewhere obvious.