Functional Skills - Need to achieve Level 1 and sit Level 2

The guidance is in the funding rules:

P138 For level 2 apprenticeships, where a level 2 qualification in English or maths is not required for the apprenticeship and the apprentice does not already hold the acceptable qualifications for their standard, then main providers must adopt the following approach and can claim funding for an apprentice in the following scenarios:

P138.1 Where the apprentice holds neither level 1 nor level 2 approved qualifications and is judged by the main provider to be working below level 1 standard in English / maths:

Apprentices must study towards and achieve English and maths qualifications of at least level 1 (Functional Skills level 1 or GCSE grade E or 2), and start, study towards and take the assessments for level 2 qualifications in these subjects. The apprentice is not required to achieve level 2 qualifications in order to successfully complete their apprenticeship. These requirements must be fulfilled before the apprentice takes the end-point assessment.

Main providers must also ensure that any level 1 training and assessments are taken at an early enough stage in the apprenticeship to allow sufficient time for an apprentice to study towards and take the assessments for the level 2 qualification, after a level 1 has been achieved.

P138.2 Where the apprentice does not already hold approved level 1 qualifications, but is judged by the main provider to be working at level 1 standard in English / maths:

Apprentices must start, continue to study and take the assessment for level 2 English and maths (Functional Skills level 2 or GCSE). If they do not achieve a level 2, you must then ensure they take the assessment for level 1 English and / or maths – this is because they must secure the level 1 qualification in order to complete their apprenticeship.

You must ensure that any level 2 training and assessments are taken at an early enough stage in the apprenticeship to allow time for the apprentice to take the level 1 assessment if they first do not achieve the level 2. In this scenario we will not fund costs for level 1 training and assessment. These requirements must be fulfilled before the apprentice takes the end-point assessment.

P138.3 Where the apprentice already holds approved level 1 qualifications:

Apprentices must start, continue to study and take the assessments for a level 2 English and / or maths (Functional Skills level 2 or GCSE). This requirement must be fulfilled before the apprentice takes the endpoint assessment.

P139 We will fund Functional skills English and / or maths at level 1 or below where you (or a subcontractor) has conducted an initial assessment that shows the apprentice needs to study at a lower level before being able to achieve their level 2. The apprentice must be judged to be below level 1 to be funded for a level 1 qualification.

HTH