Countryside ranger / Skills England

This is not the latest approved version of this apprenticeship. View the latest version

This apprenticeship is in revision

The below revised version of the assessment plan is approved by Skills England under the 2025/2026 apprenticeship assessment reforms and is available for information only. On 27 August 2027, it will replace the current version for new starts with a funding band of £9000, allowing providers and employers to begin working with assessment organisations to deliver the assessment. For further details of the changes to apprenticeship assessment, please refer to the Department for Education's support guidance.

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
Revised version awaiting implementation	Occupational standard and assessment plan revised	27/08/2027	Not set
1.3	Occupational standard and end-point assessment plan revised	18/11/2024	26/08/2027
1.2	Occupational standard and end-point assessment plan revised	20/12/2023	17/11/2024
1.1	End-point assessment plan revised	05/05/2023	19/12/2023
1.0	Approved for delivery	07/08/2020	04/05/2023

Employers involved in creating the standard: Birmingham City Council, Broads National Park, Butterfly Conservation, Canal and River Trust, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Dartmoor National Park, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Dorset County Council, Durham Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park, Knighton Countryside Management, Lake District National Park, National Trust, Natural England, New Forest National Park, Northumberland National Park, North York Moors National Park, Peak District National Park, Plantlife, Redcar and Cleveland Council, RSPB, South Downs National Park, Sheffield Wildlife Trust, Staffordshire Wildfowl Trust and Wetlands Trust, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Yorkshire Peat Partnership, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

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Countryside ranger

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Version log

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