Xavier Teach SouthEast is an approved End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO).

We have a large centralised team of highly experienced assessors who are classroom practitioners themselves at both primary and secondary level. We assess across the country and ensure that every apprentice and school we work with is thoroughly supported through the end point assessment (EPA) process. 

Summary of an EPA: 

• Gateway Requirements: Once the gateway requirements have been reached, our centralised administration team will contact the apprentice and decide on an exact date and time for their EPA visit.  This will usually take place in the fourth term of their apprenticeship (first term of the ECT year), depending upon their start date.

The Visit

• Lesson Observation: Our EPA assessor will visit the apprentice in school to carry out a lesson observation (45-60 minutes) followed by a short reflective discussion about the lesson (15-20 minutes).  During this time, the apprentice will receive feedback on their teaching in line with the Teachers' Standards.
• Professional Discussion: The professional discussion will assess the apprentice's knowledge, skills and behaviours regarding the Teaching Standards (approx. 60 minutes).  This will be conducted by the EPA assessor, and must also include attendance of the apprentice, in-school representative and training provider representative.  During this time, the apprentice is able to refer to their portfolio of work completed during Initial Teacher Training, but this will not be assessed during the discussion.

• EPA Report and Certification: Once the visit has been conducted, the EPA assessor will assess the evidence provided and independently decide on a final grade (below the required standard, pass or distinction).  A report will be written within four weeks and indicate the apprentice's performance against each of the Teaching Standards.  Our centralised team will send the report to the apprentice and Initial Teacher Training provider, and log the grade on the DfE portal for certification to take place.

Quality Assurance

Xavier Teach SouthEast is committed to delivering a high-quality EPA service and undertakes robust and thorough quality assurance processes.  The quality assurance of EPAs is undertaken through;

• Gathering feedback on the EPA process from apprentices, schools and Initial Teacher Training providers.
• Moderating 20% of EPA reports.
• Jointly observing 10% of apprentices (conducted by two Teach SouthEast assessors). 

Fees

Fees for our EPA service are agreed during initial discussions with the provider dependent on location and numbers.

Apprentice EPA Testimonials

The assessor was very friendly and took me through everything, explaining as we went through, and although I was observed teaching, I wasn’t put under pressure and she just joined the lesson and I felt at ease. It felt more of an end point celebration and confirmation than an assessment, which was lovely. I was given plenty of opportunities to talk about my experience, my routines and this was well received and welcomed."

I enjoyed how comfortable I was even though I was nervous about the visit. The assessor was warm and gave me a safe space to speak freely and honestly about my progress."

I really enjoyed my visit, it was a great opportunity to reflect on everything from the previous year and a great start to my ECT year."

It has made me a better teacher where I think there is still room for improvement."

I was made to feel comfortable, the assessor was down to earth, although I felt nervous, she was really polite and we had a conversation on lesson preparation and ran through a couple of questions that made me feel comfortable."

What people say about working with us

“Organising EPA’s with Xavier Teach SouthEast was simple, professional and efficient. All communication was straight forward, comprehensive and timely. The staff were knowledgeable, experienced and personable. I look forward to working with Xavier in the future.”

“Working with Xavier Teach SouthEast as an EPAO has been a pleasure. They are incredibly organised, hardworking, supportive. All assessors work hard to ensure our trainees get the EPA grade they deserve. I am grateful for their ongoing support and dedication towards making sure the EPA experience for our trainees is the best it possible can be. What a great team!”

“I truly appreciated the professionalism and experience Xavier Teach SouthEast brought to the table.  It was our first time working with an EPAO and the process ran smoothly, the information was clear to us as a provider and for the candidates.  Candidates were made to feel relaxed about the process and the assessors we worked with made everyone feel valued.  I truly enjoyed working with them because they proved positive, kind and compassionate but also knowledgeable and professional.”

More Information

• To register your interest, please email Carly Griffin on c.griffin@xaviercet.org.uk
• To read more about the EPA process please refer to the EPA plan at the link below: