Functional Skills (Maths & English)

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(Entry levels 1, 2 and 3 plus Levels 1 and 2)

What are Functional Skills Qualifications?

Functional Skills assess the fundamental skills of English and maths and help to prepare people with the skills that they may need in their working and professional lives. There are different levels of Functional Skills Qualifications:

  • Entry Level 1
  • Entry Level 2
  • Entry Level 3 
  • Level 1
  • Level 2

Entry-level 1-3 is below GCSE level, Level 1 is equivalent to GCSE grades 1-3 and Level 2 is comparable to GCSE grade 4.

Once learners have completed one level of a Functional Skills Qualification, they can progress onto the next level, after Level 1 and 2 learners can choose to study further, like at a GCSE level, or progress into employment or vocational training.

The qualifications give learners the opportunity to:

  • demonstrate the ability at an appropriate level to read, write, speak, listen and communicate in English
  • apply this knowledge and these skills in familiar situations.
  • achieve a foundation for further study at Levels 1 and 2. Qualification aims and outcomes

The qualifications give learners the opportunity to:

  • listen, understand and respond to verbal communication in a range of  familiar contexts
  • acquire an understanding of everyday words and their uses and effects, and apply this understanding in different contexts
  • read with accuracy straightforward texts encountered in everyday life and work, and develop confidence to read more widely
  • write straightforward texts and documents with clarity and effectiveness, and demonstrate a sound grasp of spelling, punctuation and grammar.  All Functional Skills Assessments are graded as either pass or fail. There isn’t any coursework or portfolio-based elements, and the qualification result is based solely on exam papers.
  • For entry-level qualifications, papers are assessed internally. Level 1 and 2 exams can be taken online or as a paper-based assessment. The online exams can be taken on demand whenever the learner feels ready, but paper exams must be completed when the awarding body sets dates.

This Maths Overview is written based on the  Centre for Excellence in Maths’(CfEM) Five Key Principles of Teaching for Mastery in FE. (See below) The intention of our scheme of work is to provide an exemplar that can be adapted and used by teachers who are grappling with the issues of teaching Functional Skills maths over a relatively short timeframe, to learners who are frequently disengaged by previous negative experiences of the subject.

Teaching for Mastery: The Five Key Principles

  1. Develop an understanding of mathematical structure
  2. Value and build on students’ prior learning
  3. Prioritise curriculum coherence and connections
  4. Develop both understanding and fluency in mathematics
  5. Develop a collaborative culture in which everyone believes everyone can succeed

Although our scheme of work and lessons relating to them have been informed by all five Key Principles of Teaching for Mastery, the structure of the course has been informed by one of the key principles in particular: prioritise curriculum coherence and connections.

In terms of structuring the schemes of work, this means:

  • sequencing to enable learners to see links between mathematical concepts 
  • consistent use of familiar representations across different topics to enhance understanding of mathematical structure.

Our schemes of work has also taken account of issues of learner engagement and resilience – particularly in the early part of the academic year.

Rationale and outcomes

The Functional Skills curriculum is made up of a few big linked ideas and our scheme has been designed to reduce students’ cognitive load, supporting the demands on their working memory, whilst helping them to think deeply about the underlying mathematical concepts. This is in contrast to traditional teaching in FE maths classrooms where students are provided with isolated procedures or algorithms presented as disconnected topics that need to be remembered and cannot be readily applied to everyday life situations. A critical aim is to develop an improved number sense, and ability to apply maths flexibly in practical situations

Our SoW lessons focus on learner engagement and resilience, with the intention of addressing from the start the negative attitudes and fixed mindsets that learners frequently present. However, it is important that these key messages are reinforced regularly throughout the year. For more ideas about this, see the screencasts on engagement and resilience