Sarah Vickery – Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) MedOCC - My experience of Completing the Functional Skills Level 2:

“I started at MedOCC three years ago and was fortunate to be offered a place at the University of Greenwich to undertake a Clinical Consultation Assessment and Diagnosis course, then to progress on to the prescribing course. After a discussion with my manager, we felt that commencing the Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship would be valuable for me due to the role I have at Medocc. However, because I did not obtain a C or above at GCSE level English and Maths, I had to complete the functional skills level 2.

Enrolling on the courses was straight forward. My details were sent to the Kent Adult Education and they contacted me with everything that was required. They are very flexible when offering a day and time that suits you. The courses consisted of a two-hour online lesson once a week with some homework involved. If there’s a reason you can not attend one week they are very understanding and send you the course content for that week. The teachers are very helpful, any concerns were answered promptly.

The maths covers all the elements that will be required for the exam. There are two exams that must be taken. I enjoyed the maths and it has allowed me to have a refresher which comes in very useful when helping my daughter with her homework. The English comprises of three exams, verbal, writing and reading. As I have studied at a higher level, I found the English very straightforward.

In January I started the ACP apprenticeship. I wish I had known that the functional skills would be essential, which I would have applied for sooner. If you are thinking of applying for any apprenticeship, check you have the English and Maths required (with certificate evidence) before or enquire about functional skills”.