Nursery group Kids Planet has been appointed lead partner for the second time by a government-funded programme researching the role of functional skills in apprenticeship standards.

Kids Planet has been selected by the Apprenticeship Workforce Development programme, funded by the Department for Education, to look at outcomes for early years apprentices and create a pedagogical approach that removes barriers to achieving maths qualifications.

Although Level 3 qualified early years practitioners no longer need to hold a Level 2 qualification in maths, Level 3 apprentices must still achieve functional skills in maths and English in order to qualify.

Kids Planet will work alongside Seren Skills Network, Professional Apprenticeships, and College But Different to ensure apprenticeship support for functional skills is effective and impactful.

Gill Mason, Training Academy director, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this funding for a second year, this is a much-needed area of research with functional skills in maths being the biggest barrier for early years, and other sector apprentice completion.”

She added: “Working with our partners, we are ambitious that our research and implementation of new and proven approaches to the delivery of functional skills will support completion rates.  and increase those employed in the sector. We want to ensure we attract as many talented early years education colleagues into the sector, and increase apprentices as a gateway to delivering the funding expansion.”