On 25th May 2020 SS Educational Services submitted their application to Ofqual to become an End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO). On 25th May 2021 our application to Ofqual was successful. I couldn’t help but smile at both events taking place on exactly the same date a year apart, what are the odds in that happening?
It hasn’t been easy, but we have learned so much. The first application submitted was rejected. I wasn’t surprised, for 2 reasons. The first is that I was told during an Ofqual telephone call, that most applications are rejected the first time, those odds were definitely not in our favour! The second was because understanding all the complex requirements for an EPAO was, well, really complex.
During the waiting process we honed a lot of our processes and procedures. Information from two feedback panels helped us focus on areas that needed strengthening.
I look back on the submission a year ago, and where we are today, and I am grateful for that year. It has allowed us the time to build a strong governance team, and develop comprehensive systems from registration to certification for our first two standards, the Level 2 Early Years Practitioner and the Level 3 Early Years Educator.
I am committed to SSES remaining a niche, EPAO. We have an amazing compact but dedicated team, experts in the fields of apprenticeships and early years and I would not want to see that impacted on. Being small we know all our clients, our clients know us, and know that we have lived the standards we are able to EPA.
At the moment we are able to offer the Level 2 and Level 3 in early years. By the end of the year we will also be offering Level 4 Children, Young People and Families Practitioner and Level 5 Children, Young People and Families Manager. Any new standards we introduce will continue to have children and young people at their core.
