🧑‍💻 Level 4 Software Developer Apprenticeship – Course Outline (24 Months)

📘 Curriculum Aligned to DfE/IfATE Standard (ST0116, V1.1) reddit.com+9findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+9reddit.com+9

1. Induction & Foundations (Weeks 1–8)

• Overview of SDLC: stages, inputs/outputs, roles & responsibilities skillsengland.education.gov.uk

• Development methodologies: Agile vs Waterfall principles skillsengland.education.gov.uk

• Team collaboration & communication: stakeholder mapping, theory/practice

• Intro to version control & CI/CD pipelines

2. Programming Fundamentals (Weeks 9–24)

• Core programming constructs: data structures, algorithms, logic skillsengland.education.gov.uk+2findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+2findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+2

• Code architecture & design patterns: modular, secure, maintainable

• Database interfacing: relational and non-relational

• Hands-on coding labs: build CLI and GUI-based mini-projects

3. User Interface & Integration (Weeks 25–40)

• UI development: frontend basics (HTML/CSS/JS or equivalent UI frameworks)

• Connecting to data sources: RESTful APIs, DB integration

• Testing techniques: unit, integration, UAT, performance, non-functional testing

• Debugging strategies: build, troubleshoot, fix

4. Software Quality & Security (Weeks 41–64)

• Secure coding practices: OWASP principles and GDPR compliance

• Code reviews & quality gates: peer review, CI pipelines

• Test-driven development: frameworks, coverage, bug management instituteforapprenticeships.org+1skillsengland.education.gov.uk+1

5. Deployment & Operations (Weeks 65–80)

• Build and deploy: scripts, containerisation, continuous integration reddit.com+12findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+12reddit.com+12

• Change control: versioning, rollback planning

• Monitoring & incident support: SLAs, triage, bug fixing

6. Analysis, Documentation & Stakeholder Communication (Weeks 81–96)

• Requirement capture: use cases, user stories, acceptance criteria skillsengland.education.gov.uk+2findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+2skillsengland.education.gov.uk+2

• Technical documentation: architecture overviews, README, deploy guides

• Authority communication: reports, sprint updates for technical/non-technical audiences

7. EPA Preparation & Specialisation (Weeks 97–104)

• EPA readiness: mock assessment, portfolio compile

• Personal specialisation: choose a focus (e.g., mobile apps, web frameworks, backend systems)

• Vendor qualification: BCS Systems Development or equivalent reddit.com+3reddit.com+3reddit.com+3instituteforapprenticeships.org

8. Professional Development (Ongoing)

• Behaviours: initiative, ethics, collaboration, continuous learning instituteforapprenticeships.org+2skillsengland.education.gov.uk+2findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk+2

• Maths & English, functional skills support reddit.com

🧱 Supporting Materials & Delivery

• Blended delivery: 20% classroom, 80% workplace

• Real-world employer projects & continuous assessment

• Dedicated mentor and tutor

• Portfolio of projects and assessments for EPA