Proficiency type(PROFICIENCYTYPE)

All LanguageProficiency entities

This field records the proficiency type that the student holds based on their own self assessment.

Providers in Scotland

The ProficiencyType field is used to identify students who satisfy the Scottish Government's definition of being a BSL user which is:

A BSL user as a deaf and/or deafblind person (someone who received the language in a tactile form due to sight loss) whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language.

If the student is not a British Sign Language user, this entity should not be returned.

Code 06 Sign is only applicable to providers in Scotland where the LanguageProficiency.LANGPROFICIENCYID = 04. This is the only valid entry applicable to providers in Scotland and so Scottish providers should not return 01-04, 96, or 99. 

Providers in Wales

Providers in Wales are required to return the entity for each of the proficiency types that a student has and the level (or ability) is only returned in LanguageProficiency.PROFICIENCYLEVEL where the proficiency type is 02.

It is expected that this field and the associated Level field for providers in Wales will be updated during the lifetime of an Engagement to allow for a student to become more proficient over time.

Recommended question: 'Can you understand, speak, read or write Welsh?' with the options given.

99 will be used where the provider does not know the information.