When functional skills were removed as a mandatory requirement for apprentices, a lot of training providers made a straightforward decision. If it is not required, it is not delivered. Resources get redirected, programmes get streamlined and the focus shifts to what is compulsory rather than what is valuable.
We did not do that.
Educationwise made a conscious decision to keep delivering functional skills in English and maths because we believe that learning should never be defined by what is mandatory. English and maths are not boxes to tick on the way to a qualification. They are foundational skills that affect how people communicate, how they perform in the workplace and how confidently they move through every stage of their professional life. Removing them from a programme because nobody was forcing us to deliver them anymore never felt like the right decision for our learners.
That belief has shaped the way we approach functional skills delivery from the very beginning. We do not treat English and maths as an add-on or an inconvenience. We treat them as a core part of what we offer and we invest in delivering them properly. That means specialist tutors, one to one support, personalised learning strategies and the kind of consistent, patient guidance that turns a difficult subject into an achievable one.
The results of that approach speak for themselves. Speaking, Listening and Communication first time pass rates at 100%. Reading pass rates rising significantly. Apprentices progressing into End Point Assessment with a level of confidence they did not have when they started. Employers noticing the difference in how their people communicate and perform at work. These are not outcomes that happen by accident. They are the product of a team that takes functional skills seriously and a culture that has always believed learning should go further than what is required.
In 2026, that commitment was recognised at a national level. Educationwise won the Excellence in English and Maths Skills Development award at the Apprenticeship and Training Awards, one of the most respected events in the further education and apprenticeships sector. It was a proud moment for the whole organisation and for the two people at the heart of it, our Functional Skills and Learning Support specialists, whose work every single day is what made that recognition possible.
Winning an award is not why we kept delivering functional skills. We kept delivering them because it was the right thing to do. But the recognition does matter, not for the trophy but for what it confirms. That investing in English and maths development beyond what is compulsory makes a measurable difference to learner outcomes, to employer satisfaction and to the quality of the apprenticeship experience overall.
The learners who benefit most from our functional skills provision are often the ones who arrive with the most complicated relationship with the subjects. Adults who struggled with English or maths at school and have carried that experience with them ever since. Apprentices who never thought they were capable of passing an exam in either subject. People managing work, family and study simultaneously who need support that meets them where they are rather than expecting them to keep up regardless.
Our approach is built around those learners. The support is personal, the pace is manageable and the goal is always confidence as much as it is qualification. When a learner who once doubted whether they could pass achieves a distinction, or completes their qualification earlier than expected, or goes into their End Point Assessment with a belief in themselves that was not there before, that is the outcome we are working toward. The award is a reflection of how consistently we reach it.
For employers, the message is simple. When you partner with Educationwise, your apprentices receive English and maths support that goes well beyond the minimum standard. They come out of the programme with stronger communication skills, greater professional confidence and a level of workplace performance that makes a visible difference to the businesses they work in. That is what Ofsted Outstanding and award winning provision looks like in practice.
We kept delivering functional skills because we believe every learner deserves more than the minimum. That belief has not changed. Neither has our commitment to delivering on it.