Optical assistant / 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 13 April 2027, it will replace the current version for new starts with a funding band of £8,000, 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.

This apprenticeship has options. This document is currently showing the following option:

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	Assessment plan revised	13/04/2027	Not set
1.2	Updated SSA	10/12/2025	12/04/2027
1.1	Occupational standard and end-point assessment plan revised	07/05/2025	09/12/2025
1.0	Approved for delivery	01/01/2023	06/05/2025

Employers involved in creating the standard: Specsavers, Vision express, Boots Opticians, Leightons opticians, Insight Optical, The Outside Clinic, Asda Opticians Independ practice input via Gordon Illett

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Optical assistant

Contents

Version log

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